Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling
[1] Fire is an important pathway for carbon (C) loss from boreal forest ecosystems and has a strong effect on ecosystem C balance. Fires can range widely in severity, defined as the amount of vegetation and forest floor consumed by fire, depending on local fuel and climatic conditions. Here we explo...
Published in: | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
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Language: | English |
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ftpubman:oai:pure.mpg.de:item_2171974 2023-08-27T04:08:58+02:00 Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling Schuur, E. Trumbore, S. Mack, M. Harden, J. 2003 application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0EE-F http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0F0-7 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2001GB001840 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0886-6236 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0EE-F http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0F0-7 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Global Biogeochemical Cycles info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2003 ftpubman https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GB001840 2023-08-02T01:03:17Z [1] Fire is an important pathway for carbon (C) loss from boreal forest ecosystems and has a strong effect on ecosystem C balance. Fires can range widely in severity, defined as the amount of vegetation and forest floor consumed by fire, depending on local fuel and climatic conditions. Here we explore a novel method for estimating fire severity and loss of C from fire using the atmosphere to integrate ecosystem heterogeneity at the watershed scale. We measured the delta(13)C and Delta(14)C isotopic values of CO2 emitted from an experimental forest fire at the Caribou-Poker Creek Research Watershed (CPCRW), near Fairbanks, Alaska. We used inverse modeling combined with dual isotope measurements of C contained in aboveground black spruce biomass and soil organic horizons to estimate the amount of C released by this fire. The experimental burn was a medium to severe intensity fire that released, on average, about 2.5 kg Cm-2, more than half of the C contained in vegetation and soil organic horizon pools. For vegetation, the model predicted that approximately 70-75% of pools such as needles, fine branches, and bark were consumed by fire, whereas only 20-30% of pools such as coarse branches and cones were consumed. The fire was predicted to have almost completely consumed surface soil organic horizons and burned about half of the deepest humic horizon. The ability to estimate the amount of biomass combusted and C emission from fires at the watershed scale provides an extensive approach that can complement more limited intensive ground-based measurements. Article in Journal/Newspaper Caribou-Poker Creek Research Watershed Alaska Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe Fairbanks Poker Creek ENVELOPE(-141.005,-141.005,64.056,64.056) Global Biogeochemical Cycles 17 1 1-1 1-9 |
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Open Polar |
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Max Planck Society: MPG.PuRe |
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ftpubman |
language |
English |
description |
[1] Fire is an important pathway for carbon (C) loss from boreal forest ecosystems and has a strong effect on ecosystem C balance. Fires can range widely in severity, defined as the amount of vegetation and forest floor consumed by fire, depending on local fuel and climatic conditions. Here we explore a novel method for estimating fire severity and loss of C from fire using the atmosphere to integrate ecosystem heterogeneity at the watershed scale. We measured the delta(13)C and Delta(14)C isotopic values of CO2 emitted from an experimental forest fire at the Caribou-Poker Creek Research Watershed (CPCRW), near Fairbanks, Alaska. We used inverse modeling combined with dual isotope measurements of C contained in aboveground black spruce biomass and soil organic horizons to estimate the amount of C released by this fire. The experimental burn was a medium to severe intensity fire that released, on average, about 2.5 kg Cm-2, more than half of the C contained in vegetation and soil organic horizon pools. For vegetation, the model predicted that approximately 70-75% of pools such as needles, fine branches, and bark were consumed by fire, whereas only 20-30% of pools such as coarse branches and cones were consumed. The fire was predicted to have almost completely consumed surface soil organic horizons and burned about half of the deepest humic horizon. The ability to estimate the amount of biomass combusted and C emission from fires at the watershed scale provides an extensive approach that can complement more limited intensive ground-based measurements. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schuur, E. Trumbore, S. Mack, M. Harden, J. |
spellingShingle |
Schuur, E. Trumbore, S. Mack, M. Harden, J. Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
author_facet |
Schuur, E. Trumbore, S. Mack, M. Harden, J. |
author_sort |
Schuur, E. |
title |
Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
title_short |
Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
title_full |
Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
title_fullStr |
Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
title_full_unstemmed |
Isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: Inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
title_sort |
isotopic composition of carbon dioxide from a boreal forest fire: inferring carbon loss from measurements and modeling |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0EE-F http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0F0-7 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-141.005,-141.005,64.056,64.056) |
geographic |
Fairbanks Poker Creek |
geographic_facet |
Fairbanks Poker Creek |
genre |
Caribou-Poker Creek Research Watershed Alaska |
genre_facet |
Caribou-Poker Creek Research Watershed Alaska |
op_source |
Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1029/2001GB001840 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pissn/0886-6236 http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0EE-F http://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-D0F0-7 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2001GB001840 |
container_title |
Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
container_volume |
17 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
1-1 |
op_container_end_page |
1-9 |
_version_ |
1775349932251676672 |