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Can Fire Residues (Ash and Char) Affect Microbial Decomposition in Wetland Soils?

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Abstract

With increasing fire frequency expected with climate change, understanding the direct and indirect effect of fire on the global carbon budget is critical. While many studies focus on carbon loss through biomass removal and shifts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, minimal studies have taken a mechanistic approach to determine the indirect effect of fire residues on GHG production post-fire. The study objective was to isolate the effect of vegetation-derived fire residues (char and ash) on microbial decomposition in wetland soils of varying phosphorus concentrations. Carbon GHG production was influenced by residue type and oxygen availability and results varied by soil phosphorus concentrations. Aerobic decomposition decreased following ash addition in low-phosphorus soil initially; however, there were no additional effects of residues on aerobic decomposition. Under anaerobic conditions, residues had no effect on decomposition in high-phosphorus soil. In contrast, char stimulated CO2 production; and regardless of residue, CH4 production was stimulated in low-phosphorus soil. While char contained higher available phosphorus and carbon relative to ash, ash still provided phosphorus suggesting variable gas production in situ may be dependent on fire residue proportion and associated nutrient input. Taken together, increased fire frequency associated with climate change may stimulate CH4 production in low-phosphorus wetlands.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Y. Wang and G. Wilson of the Wetland Biogeochemistry Laboratory and B. Hogue (University of Florida) for laboratory assistance. This research was funded by grant J5297-07-0276 from the US National Park Service and the Everglades National Park, Hole-in-the-Donut Wetland Restoration Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil and Water Science, University of Florida, 2181 McCarty Hall A, P.O. Box 110290, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Cassandra A. Medvedeff, Kanika S. Inglett & Patrick W. Inglett

  2. Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, 1 University Drive, Orange, CA, 92866, USA

    Cassandra A. Medvedeff

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  1. Cassandra A. Medvedeff
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  2. Kanika S. Inglett
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  3. Patrick W. Inglett
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Correspondence to Cassandra A. Medvedeff.

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Medvedeff, C.A., Inglett, K.S. & Inglett, P.W. Can Fire Residues (Ash and Char) Affect Microbial Decomposition in Wetland Soils?. Wetlands 35, 1165–1173 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-015-0703-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-015-0703-x

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