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Title: Immediate effects of prescribed burning on mineral soil nitrogen in ponderosa pine of New Mexico

Conference · · Soil Sci.; (United States)
OSTI ID:5713135

Three 0.1-ha ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws) sites were burned in the fall of 1981. The burn was mainly a ground fire. Burn intensity was 980, 1760, and 2280 kJ s/sup -1/ m/sup -1/ on sites 1, 2, and 3, respectively. We analyzed the mineral soils on each of these sites for total N, NO/sub 2//sup -/ + NO/sub 3//sup -/-N and NH/sub 4//sup +/-N prior to prescribed burning, 1 d postburn, and 30 d postburn. On the most intense burn, NH/sub 4//sup +/-N levels increased threefold from preburn (10 ppm) to 1 d postburn (32 ppm), but declined somewhat 30 d following the burn (24 ppm). Concentrations of NO/sub 2//sup -/ + NO/sub 3//sup -/-N on site 3 rose from 1 ppm preburn and 1 d postburn to 5 ppm 30 d postburn. There were no significant differences in soil total N after burning. Immediate postburn inorganic N values for ponderosa pine mineral soils have not been previously reported in the literature. It is important to investigate burned soils immediately after burning to better understand sequential processes involved in postfire inorganic N dynamics.

Research Organization:
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-76SR00819
OSTI ID:
5713135
Journal Information:
Soil Sci.; (United States), Vol. 141:1; Conference: American industrial hygiene conference, Dallas, TX, USA, 18-23 May 1986
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English