Inorganic nitrogen availability after severe stand-replacing fire in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Understanding ecosystem processes as they relate to wildfire and vegetation dynamics is of growing importance as fire frequency and extent increase throughout the western United States. However, the effects of severe, stand-replacing wildfires are poorly understood. We studied inorganic nitrogen pools and mineralization rates after stand-replacing wildfires in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Wyoming. After fires that burned in summer 2000, soil ammonium concentration peaked in 2001 (33 mg NH(4)-N x kg(soil)(-1)); soil nitrate increased subsequently (2.7 mg NO(3)-N.kg(soil)(-1) in 2003) but was still low. However, annual net ammonification rates were largely negative from 2001 to 2004, indicating ammonium depletion. Thus, although net nitrification rates were positive, annual net nitroge

SUBMITTER: Turner MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1829215 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature