Effects of Forest Fire Disturbance in Different Time Series on Soil Properties and Greenhouse Gas Flux in Larix gmelinii Forest of Cold-temperate Zone
Fire is one of the most important disturbance factors in forest ecosystem. Four different areas with different disturbances series in Larix gmelinii forest were selected to determine the effects of forest fire on soil properties and greenhouse gas flux. The results showed that:Soil pH had increased 7.7%, 2.0%, 3.4%and 4.0%, soil organic matter had decreased 63.8%, 26.6%, 35.3%and 11.3%, soil total nitrogen content had decreased 53.2%, 19.7%, 21.7% and 16.2% after 0, 8, 19 and 28 years respectively when compared with their corresponding control. Soil available nitrogen content had decreased 28.1% and 9.5% after 0 and 8 years respectively, but increased 16% after 19 years when compared with their corresponding control, and there was no significant difference among the burned area and control when forest fire occurred 28 years later. CH4 absorbing flux had decreased significantly after fire, especially in the fire occurred year, this effect had disappeared 28 years later after fire occurred. CH4 absorbing flux decreased 51.0%, 45.0%, 7.1%after 0, 8 and 19 years respectively. CO2 flux had increased 64.5%after fire occurred when compared with the control, but no obvious uniformly results was found in other three different time series fire disturbance. Soil N2O emission flux had increased 64.5%after fire occurred year when compared with the control. Soil N2O emission had decreased 5.6%, 14.6%and 37.9% after fire occurred after 8, 19 and 28 years respectively. After analyzed grey correlation among soil properties and greenhouse gas flux, soil organic matter content had the highest correlation degree with CH4 flux and CO2 flux, N2O flux had the highest correlation degree soil total nitrogen. In conclusion, forest fire in Larix gmelinii areas decreased soil methane absorbing and increased soil CO2 and N2O emission obviously in the very year fire occurred, but this effect had been decreased and even disappeared with the succession of vegetation and soil after fire.
fire disturbanceLarix gmeliniiCH4CO2N2Osoil organic mattersoil total Nsoil available N