Drought-induced Amazonian wildfires instigate a decadal-scale disruption of forest carbon dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Drought-induced wildfires have increased in frequency and extent over the tropics. Yet, the long-term (greater than 10 years) responses of Amazonian lowland forests to fire disturbance are poorly known. To understand post-fire forest biomass dynamics, and to assess the time required for fire-affected forests to recover to pre-disturbance levels, we combined 16 single with 182 multiple forest census into a unique large-scale and long-term dataset across the Brazilian Amazonia. We quantified biomass, mortality and wood productivity of burned plots along a chronosequence of up to 31 years post-fire and compared to surrounding unburned plots measured simultaneously. Stem mortality and growth were assessed among functional groups. At the plot level, we found that fire-affected forests have biom

SUBMITTER: Silva CVJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6178430 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature