Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Changes in the Seasonal Cycle of Carbon Stocks and Fluxes Due to Fires in the Grassland Ecosystem of Manipur, North East India


Affiliations
1 Department of Life Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal 795 003, India
 

Fire is a common perturbation in the grassland ecosystems throughout the world. Effect of fire on carbon stock, rate of C-accumulation and soil CO2 flux have been studied in Imperata cylindrica-Sporobolus indicus-dominated grassland community of Manipur, Northeast India. Carbon stock in the vegetation components was estimated to be 12.59 and 12.06 Mg ha-1 and soil organic carbon stock was found to be 57.28 and 44.74 Mg ha-1 in the control and burnt site respectively. It indicates that fire decreases the carbon stock in the grassland. However in the following year the annual rate of carbon accumulation increased in burnt site (7.94 Mg ha-1 year-1) compared to the control site (6.75 Mg ha-1 year-1) whereas the annual soil CO2 flux decreased in the burnt site (4.06 Mg ha-1 year-1) in comparison to the control site (7.26 Mg ha-1 year-1). Our estimates of carbon budget reveal that the net uptake was 3.88 Mg C ha-1 year-1 in the grassland ecosystem after the burning treatment. Thus, the annual burning of grassland can cause major changes to carbon stocks and fluxes.

Keywords

Aboveground Biomass, Belowground Biomass, Carbon Stock, Carbon Accumulation, Soil Co2 Flux.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Ojima, D. S., Parton, W. J., Schimel, D. S., Scurlock, J. M. O. and Kittel, T. G. F., Modeling the effects of climatic and CO2 changes on grassland storage of soil C. Water, Air Soil Pollut., 1993, 70, 643–657.

  • Hall, D. O., Ojima, D. S., Paton, W. J. and Scurlock, J. M. O., Response of temperate and tropical grassland to CO2 and climate change. J. Biogeo., 1995, 22, 537–547.

  • Bronson, K. F., Zobeck, T. M., Chua, T. T., Acosta-Martinez, V., Van Pelt, R. S. and Booke, J. D., Cabon and nitrogen pools of southern high plains cropland and grassland soils. J. Am. Sci. Soc., 2004, 68, 1695–1704.

  • Conant, R. T., Dalla-Betta, P., Klopatek, C. C. and Klopatek, J. M., Controls on soil respiration in semiarid soils. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2004, 36, 945–951.

  • Mielnick, P. C. and Dugas, W. A., Soil CO2 flux in a tall grass praire. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2000, 32, 221–228.

  • Denman, K. L. et al., Couplings between changes in the climate system and biogeochemistry. In Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (eds Solomon, S. et al.), Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007.

  • Glenday, J., Carbon storage and emissions offset potential in an east African tropical rainforest. For. Ecol. Manage., 2006, 235, 72–83.

  • Hamilton, E. W., Frank, D. A., Hinchey, P. M. and Murray, T. R., Defoliation induces ischolar_main exudation and triggers positive rhizospheric feedbacks in a temperate grassland. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2008, 40, 2865–2873.

  • Jackson, R. B., Banner, J. L., Jobbágy, E. G., Pockman, W. T. and Wall, D. H., Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands. Nature, 2002, 418, 623–626.

  • Snyman, H. A., Short-term response of rangeland following an unplanned fire in terms of soil characteristics in a semi-arid climate of South Africa. J. Arid. Environ., 2003, 55, 160–180.

  • Certini, G., Effects of fire on properties of forest soils: a review. Oecologia, 2005, 143, 1–10.

  • Knicker, H., How does fire affect the nature and stability of soil organic nitrogen and carbon? Biogeochemistry, 2007, 85, 91–118.

  • Yadava, P. S., Savannas of North East India. J. Biogeogr., 1990, 17, 385–394.

  • Champion, H. G. and Seth, S. K., A Revised Survey of the Forest Ecosystems of India, Manager Publication, Govt of India, New Delhi, 1968.

  • Castaldi, S., Grandcourt, A., Rasile, A., Skiba, U. and Valentini R., CO2, CH4 and N2O fluxes from soil of a burned grassland in Central Africa. Biogeoscience, 2010, 7, 3459–3471.

  • Michelson, A., Anderson, M., Jensen, M., Kjøler, A. and Gashew, M., Carbon stocks, soil respiration and microbial biomass in fireprone tropical grassland, woodland and forest ecosystem. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2004, 36, 1707–1714.

  • Novara, A., Gristina, L., Rühl, J., Pasta, S., Angelo, G. D., Mantia, T. L. and Pereira, P., Grassland fire effect on soil organic carbon reservoirs in a semiarid environment. Solid Earth, 2013, 4, 381– 385.

  • Richards, A. E., Dathe, J. and Cook, G. D., Fire interacts with season to influence soil respiration in tropical savannas. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2012, 53, 90–98.

  • Gibbon, A. et al., Ecosystem carbon storage across the grassland forest transition in the high Andes of Manu National Park, Peru. Ecosystems, 2010; doi: 10.1007/s10021-010-9376-8.

  • Anderson, J. M. and Ingram, J. S. I., Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme, TSBF Methods Handbook, International Union of Biological Sciences, 1993, p. 77.

  • Singh, J. S. and Yadava, P. S., Seasonal variation in composition, plant biomass and net primary productivity of a tropical grassland at Kurukshetra. Ecol. Monogr., 1974, 44, 351–378.

  • Oliveras, I. et al., Grass allometry and estimation of aboveground biomass in tropical alpine tussock grasslands. Austr. Ecol., 2013; doi: 10,1111/acc.12098.

  • Ramsay, P. M. and Oxley, E. R. B., An assessment of aboveground net primary productivity in Andean grasslands of Central Ecudor. Mountain Res. Dev., 2001, 21, 161–167.

  • He, N., Yu, Q., Wu, L., Wang, Y. and Han, X., Carbon and nitrogen store and storage potential as affected by land use in a Leymus chinensis grassland of Northern China. Soil Biol. Biochem., 2008, 40, 2952–2959.

  • Fidelis, A., Lyra, M. F. S. and Pivello, V. R., Above and belowground biomass and carbon dynamics in Brazilian Cerrado Wet grassland. J. Veg. Sci., 2013, 24, 356–364.

  • Fan, J. et al., Carbon storage in the grasslands of China based on field measurements of aboveground and belowground biomass. Climate Change, 2007; doi: 10.1007/s 10584-007-9316-6.

  • Chan, K. Y. and McCoy, D., Soil carbon storage potential under perennial pastures in the mid-north coast of New South Wales Australia. Trop. Grassland, 2010, 44, 184–191.

  • Toma, Y. et al., Soil carbon stocks and carbon sequestration rates in semi-natural grassland in Aso region, Kumamoto, Southern Japan. Global Change Biol., 2013, 19, 1676–1687.

  • Pandey, A. N., Short term study of recovery of tropical grassland following seasonal burning. Trop. Ecol., 1988, 29, 159–170.

  • Sims, P. L. and Singh, J. S., The structure and function of ten Western Northern America grasslands. III. Net primary production, turnover and efficiency of energy capture and water use. J. Ecol., 1978, 66, 573–597.


Abstract Views: 377

PDF Views: 154




  • Changes in the Seasonal Cycle of Carbon Stocks and Fluxes Due to Fires in the Grassland Ecosystem of Manipur, North East India

Abstract Views: 377  |  PDF Views: 154

Authors

A. Thokchom
Department of Life Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal 795 003, India
P. S. Yadava
Department of Life Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal 795 003, India

Abstract


Fire is a common perturbation in the grassland ecosystems throughout the world. Effect of fire on carbon stock, rate of C-accumulation and soil CO2 flux have been studied in Imperata cylindrica-Sporobolus indicus-dominated grassland community of Manipur, Northeast India. Carbon stock in the vegetation components was estimated to be 12.59 and 12.06 Mg ha-1 and soil organic carbon stock was found to be 57.28 and 44.74 Mg ha-1 in the control and burnt site respectively. It indicates that fire decreases the carbon stock in the grassland. However in the following year the annual rate of carbon accumulation increased in burnt site (7.94 Mg ha-1 year-1) compared to the control site (6.75 Mg ha-1 year-1) whereas the annual soil CO2 flux decreased in the burnt site (4.06 Mg ha-1 year-1) in comparison to the control site (7.26 Mg ha-1 year-1). Our estimates of carbon budget reveal that the net uptake was 3.88 Mg C ha-1 year-1 in the grassland ecosystem after the burning treatment. Thus, the annual burning of grassland can cause major changes to carbon stocks and fluxes.

Keywords


Aboveground Biomass, Belowground Biomass, Carbon Stock, Carbon Accumulation, Soil Co2 Flux.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv110%2Fi6%2F1088-1094