Effects of fires of varying intensity on soil microbial complexes in central siberian scots pine stands

• Main Authors: Bogorodskaya A. V, Sorokin N. D, Ivanova G. A
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: taiga; Siberia
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.557.5881; http://zhurnal.ape.relarn.ru/articles/2003/103e.pdf

Siberian boreal forests take up half the Earths surface and have historically played an important biocenotic role in global carbon cycling. Vast forest areas are disturbed by ecological and human factors, with wildfire accounting for 74 % of all disturbances. Fires of varying intensity affect 12 to 15 million ha of forests annually [13]. Forest fires disturb natural equilibrium between ecosystem components and often determine forest type and vegetation community dynamics [12]. Soil, as an integral part of forest ecosystems, also suffers from various fire effects. Microbial complexes are are among the soil componets showing the earliest response to fire, which is reflected in changing their structure and functions [1-6]. Study Objects and Methods The study of how surface fires of varying intensity influence soil biological activity was conducted in Pinis sylvestris-lichen-feather moss stands of the central taiga subzone, Central Siberia (60 38N, 89 41E). The study area is situated in Sym Plain, a well-drained part at the eastern edge of the West Siberian Plain. The local climate is cool and humid, with average annual air temperature ranging-3.2C to-5.7C. The frost-free period lasts for 86-107 days. Annual precipitation totals 450-500mm (11). While precipitation occurs primarily in summer, dry periods are frequent and