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

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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