Record ID No. |
2109 |
Author(s) |
E.R. Green, R.J. Ellis, S.R.M. Gadsdon, A. Milcu, S.A. Power , 2013 |
Affiliation |
Division of Biology, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL75 7PY, UK, email: (S.A. Power)s.power@imperial.ac.uk |
Title |
How does N deposition affect belowground heathland recovery following wildfire? |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 57: 775-783p. |
Categories |
Mycorrhiza General |
Subjects |
Ecology |
Sub-subjects |
Climate change |
Organism |
Microbes |
Country |
UK, Europe |
Abstracts |
Climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and severity of summer fires in the UK. However, the effects of fire on ecosystem processes are likely to depend on pre-burn vegetation characteristics, soil chemistry and microbiology, all of which are known to be affected by changes in nitrogen (N) deposition. The occurrence of a severe summer fire after eight years of experimental N additions at Thursley Common National Nature Reserve (UK) thus provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the impacts of a major perturbation on nutrient and microbial dynamics in soils of contrasting chemistry. Soil N and P concentrations were substantially reduced by fire, although significant pre-fire treatment effects on soil N were still apparent immediately after the fire. Soil nutrient availability, turnover rates and leaching losses were also increased by fire. Concentrations of extractable soil N and leaching losses of Ca2+, K+, Cl− and SO42− immediately after the fire were significantly higher in plots which had previously received N additions, demonstrating effects of N loading on post-fire nutrient dynamics and economy. Effects of N addition on the activity of soil microbial populations were influenced by soil moisture levels, with significantly higher activity in +N plots compared to controls when soil moisture levels were relatively high (>15%). Microbial community composition varied considerably between sampling dates, although clear N treatment differences were apparent, particularly for bacterial communities, both immediately after and one year on from the fire. Persistent effects of wildfire and N deposition on the stocks and availability of N, and microbial community dynamics, are likely to have longer-term consequences for the functioning of heathlands and other similar semi-natural ecosystems. |