Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss

Torbjørn Haugaasen; Jos Barlow; Carlos A. Peres

doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0

Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss

Torbjørn Haugaasen, Jos Barlow, Carlos A. Peres

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

47 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Changes in forest structure were examined 10-15 months after an unprecedented understorey wildfire burnt previously undisturbed primary forest in central Brazilian Amazonia, following the severe 1997-1998 El Niño dry season. On the basis of 20 0.25 ha plots (10 m x 250 m) in both burnt and unburnt forest, we found marked differences in the overall live biomass, canopy openness and understorey vegetation. On average, 36% of all trees equal to or greater than 10 cm DBH were found to be dead in the burnt forest, and there was also a near-complete mortality in all pre-burn saplings. Using an allometric equation to predict biomass mortality we estimate that the tree mortality rates found would commit an additional 25.5 t C/ha to be released from these BFs. The dramatic increase of aboveground dead biomass in BF is of major global concern because of the increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, which has a role in enhancing the greenhouse effect and promoting climate change.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	321-331
Number of pages	11
Journal	Forest Ecology and Management
Volume	179
Issue number	1-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0
Publication status	Published - 2003

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0

Cite this

@article{06f380f525874319a314ee14922d6a66,

title = "Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss",

abstract = "Changes in forest structure were examined 10-15 months after an unprecedented understorey wildfire burnt previously undisturbed primary forest in central Brazilian Amazonia, following the severe 1997-1998 El Ni{\~n}o dry season. On the basis of 20 0.25 ha plots (10 m x 250 m) in both burnt and unburnt forest, we found marked differences in the overall live biomass, canopy openness and understorey vegetation. On average, 36% of all trees equal to or greater than 10 cm DBH were found to be dead in the burnt forest, and there was also a near-complete mortality in all pre-burn saplings. Using an allometric equation to predict biomass mortality we estimate that the tree mortality rates found would commit an additional 25.5 t C/ha to be released from these BFs. The dramatic increase of aboveground dead biomass in BF is of major global concern because of the increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, which has a role in enhancing the greenhouse effect and promoting climate change.",

author = "Torbj{\o}rn Haugaasen and Jos Barlow and Peres, {Carlos A.}",

year = "2003",

doi = "10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0",

language = "English",

volume = "179",

pages = "321--331",

journal = "Forest Ecology and Management",

issn = "0378-1127",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "1-3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss

AU - Haugaasen, Torbjørn

AU - Barlow, Jos

AU - Peres, Carlos A.

PY - 2003

Y1 - 2003

N2 - Changes in forest structure were examined 10-15 months after an unprecedented understorey wildfire burnt previously undisturbed primary forest in central Brazilian Amazonia, following the severe 1997-1998 El Niño dry season. On the basis of 20 0.25 ha plots (10 m x 250 m) in both burnt and unburnt forest, we found marked differences in the overall live biomass, canopy openness and understorey vegetation. On average, 36% of all trees equal to or greater than 10 cm DBH were found to be dead in the burnt forest, and there was also a near-complete mortality in all pre-burn saplings. Using an allometric equation to predict biomass mortality we estimate that the tree mortality rates found would commit an additional 25.5 t C/ha to be released from these BFs. The dramatic increase of aboveground dead biomass in BF is of major global concern because of the increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, which has a role in enhancing the greenhouse effect and promoting climate change.

AB - Changes in forest structure were examined 10-15 months after an unprecedented understorey wildfire burnt previously undisturbed primary forest in central Brazilian Amazonia, following the severe 1997-1998 El Niño dry season. On the basis of 20 0.25 ha plots (10 m x 250 m) in both burnt and unburnt forest, we found marked differences in the overall live biomass, canopy openness and understorey vegetation. On average, 36% of all trees equal to or greater than 10 cm DBH were found to be dead in the burnt forest, and there was also a near-complete mortality in all pre-burn saplings. Using an allometric equation to predict biomass mortality we estimate that the tree mortality rates found would commit an additional 25.5 t C/ha to be released from these BFs. The dramatic increase of aboveground dead biomass in BF is of major global concern because of the increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, which has a role in enhancing the greenhouse effect and promoting climate change.

U2 - 10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0

DO - 10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0

M3 - Article

VL - 179

SP - 321

EP - 331

JO - Forest Ecology and Management

JF - Forest Ecology and Management

SN - 0378-1127

IS - 1-3

ER -