Keywords
tree mortality
state dynamics
scorch height соснові деревостани
відпад
динаміка стану
висота нагару на стовбурах дерев
How to Cite
Abstract
Introduction
Forest vegetation stores carbon and is the main carbon reservoir on the planet. Fires affect carbon stocks and the carbon cycle. The main causes of fires are anthropogenic factors. The impact of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine resulted in damage to 30% of the country's forest area. The capacity of forestry enterprises to protect forests and control fires has diminished under martial law. Under these conditions, studies on carbon loss in fire-damaged stands are extremely relevant.
The study aimed to reveal the impact of surface fires of intensity on carbon sequestration in the biomass of pine stands in forest and forest-steppe natural zones.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted in the fire-damaged pine stands growing in Polissia and the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe in Ukraine.
The first object of the research was a middle-aged pure pine stand in the Nemovytsky subunit of Branch “Sarny Forestry” of the State Specialized Forest Enterprise «Forests of Ukraine». The forest site conditions type is moist relatively infertile (B3) on loamy soils (Polissia). The forest was damaged by surface fire in the spring of 2012. The surface fire had medium intensity, as evidenced by the fire scorch height.
The second object of the study was a middle-aged pure pine stand in the Babai subunit of the Branch “Zhovtneve Forestry” of the SFE «Forests of Ukraine», which was damaged by fire in the spring of 2011. The stand grows on sandy turf podzolized soils. The forest site conditions type is fresh relatively infertile one (B2). Three permanent research plots with different levels of fire damage have been laid out.
To estimate the biomass stock before the fire, the ‘Norms for assessment of above-ground biomass components of trees of the main forest-forming species of Ukraine’ were used. Calculations were made considering stem thickness degrees. The volumes of the sequestered carbon were calculated using two main indicators: the absolutely dry stand biomass and the percentage of carbon content (or its volume) in one tonne of the absolutely dry organic matter.
Results
Post-fire carbon losses due to tree mortality depend primarily on the fire intensity, damage type, and fire resistance of the stands (i.e. fire resistance at the level of the trees in the stand). In Polissia, 14 trees died (14%) one year after the fire in 2013 and 42 trees (58%) died three years after the fire in 2015. The loss of stored carbon in aboveground biomass was 6% (4.87 t·ha-1) one year after the fire and 61% (30.4 t·ha-1) three years after the fire. In the Left-Bank Forest-Steppe, the loss of stored carbon in the aboveground biomass of middle-aged pine stands damaged by a fire with a fire scorch height of 0.61 cm was 3% (0.021 t·ha-1) three years after the fire, in 2014. The loss was 8% (6.37 t·ha-1) for the stand with a fire scorch height of 1.76 cm and 30% (29.2 t ha-1) for the most damaged pine stand with an average fire scorch height of 3.76 cm.
ConclusionsPost-fire carbon losses in aboveground biomass due to tree mortality depend primarily on fire intensity and damage type, the length of the post-fire period, and the fire resistance of the stand (fire resistance at the level of the trees in the stand). The preliminary data obtained indicate that in Polissia (in moist relatively infertile forest site type) a higher level of mortality was detected at a lower fire intensity than in Left-Bank Forest-Steppe (in fresh relatively infertile forest site type). Accordingly, the largest losses of stored carbon were found in fire-damaged pine stands under moister conditions in Polissia compared to pine forests in Left Bank Forest-Steppe in dryer forest site conditions.
3 Figs., 4 Tables, 26 Refs.
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