Journal of Environmental Biology

Soil respiration and root biomass responses to burning in

calabrian pine (Pinus brutia) stands in Edirne, Turkey

                                                                                           

                                               Aydin Tufekcioglu*¹, Mehmet Kucuk¹, Tuncay Bilmis¹, Lokman Altun² and Murat Yilmaz³

¹Faculty of Forestry, Artvin Coruh University, 08000, Artvin

²Faculty of Forestry, Karadeniz Technical University, 61040, Trabzon

³Faculty of Forestry, Abant Izzet Baysal University - 81100, Duzce

(Received: March 10, 2009 ; Revised received: May 20, 2009; Accepted: September 05, 2009)

Abstract: In this study, soil properties and root biomass responses to prescribed fire were investigated in 25-30 year-old calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) stands in Edirne, Turkey. The stands were established by planting and were subjected to prescribed burning in July, 2005. Soil respiration rates were determined every two months using the soda-lime method over a two-year period. Fine (>2 mm diameter) and small root (>2-5 mm diameter) biomass were sampled approximately bimonthly using the sequential coring method. Soil respiration rates in burned sites were significantly higher than in control sites during the summer season but there was no significant difference in the other seasons. Soil respiration rates were correlated significantly with soil moisture and soil temperature. Fine and small root biomass were significantly lower in burned sites than in control sites. Mean fine root biomass values were 3204 kg ha^-1 for burned and 3772 kg ha^-1 for control sites. Annual soil CO₂ releases totaled 515 g C m^-2 for burned and 418 g C m^-2 for control sites. Our results indicate that, depending on site conditions, fire could be used successfully as a tool in the management of calabrian pine stands in the study area.

Key words: Calabrian pine, Forest fire, Root biomass, Soil respiration, Soil properties

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