Effects of Fire on Soil CO₂ Efflux in a Mature Longleaf Pine Forest

<p>This study was conducted from 2012-2013 in a 96 year old longleaf pine at the Lake Thoreau Environmental Center located Lamar County, MS. Measurements of soil CO₂ efflux (i.e., soil respiration or SR) rates (µmol m^-2sec^-1) were taken across 8 field plots (4 burned, 4 unburned) before and after a prescribed fire on that occurred in May, 2012. These measurements were taken over diurnal cycles using a LICOR LI-8100A automated soil gas flux system with long term chambers. SR rates and soil temperature measurements were collected during 3 sampling periods in 2012 and 1 sampling period in 2013, which were split into seasonal sampling periods: a pre-burn, spring 2012 period (April & May), a post-burn, summer 2012 period (June, July, & August), a post-burn fall 2012 period (November), and a post-burn spring 2013 period (April & May). Overall, the unburned plots had significantly greater mean SR than the burned plots (2.57 vs. 3.57 µmol m^-2sec^-1, <em>p</em>=0.04). After combining SR and soil temperature across seasons, soil temperature explained 59% of the variability in SR on the burned treatment (<em>p</em> <0.0001).</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Flowers, Knox Lemee

Contributors dc:contributor

• Micheal A. Davis
• Kevin A. Kuehn
• Carl P. Qualls

• Soil CO₂ Efflux Longleaf Pine Savanna
• Biology
• Forest Biology
• Forest Management
• Forest Sciences
• Other Forestry and Forest Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/193

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1220