Post-fire evolution of forest ecosystems on sandy terraces in the south-eastern Baikal region
A. B. Gyninova1,2, L. L. Ubugunov1,2, A. I. Kulikov1,2, B. D. Gyninova3, B. N. Gonchikov1, N. B. Badmaev1, D. P. Sympilova1
1The Institute of the General and Experimental Biology of SB RAS, Ulan-Ude, Russia
2Buryat State Academy of Agriculture, Ulan-Ude, Russia
3Department of FSI “Russian Centre of Forest Health” - “Russian Centre of Forest Health of The Republic of Buryatia”, Ulan-Ude, Russia
Keywords: потепление, Прибайкалье, сосновые леса, пожары, постпирогенное развитие, естественное лесовозобновление, содействие естественному возобновлению, лесные культуры, псаммоземы, углистый прослой, дефляция, дистанционное зондирование, Warming, pine forests, fires, post-pyrogenic development, natural reforestation, assistance to natural reforestation, forest plantations, psammosoils, coal band, deflation, remote sensing
Abstract
In the Baikal region, warming under conditions of climate continentality is accompanied by increasing of the area of forest fires and the risk of post-pyrogenic ecosystems not turning back into the forest cover. The study of pine forests on sand sediments in the South-Eastern Baikal region showed that ecosystems, located on the territory damaged by fire, develop in different directions depending on the type of a fire and local conditions. After a ground fire, the adult forest stand is preserved and stable signs of pyrogenesis in the soil are developed in the form of charred epipedons. Under these conditions, sparse-grass and dead-cover open stands are formed with almost no signs of renewed young growth and shrubs. The coal influence causes a decrease in soil acidity, an increase in the content of calcium exchange, the formation of humus of humate composition and the base unsaturation. It is proposed to identify the soils with coal epipedons at the level of subtype: psammosoils humus post-perogenic. After a top fire, the plant cover and the soil cover are completely destroyed, the ecosystem begins its development from the 0-moment. Forest renewal in lowlands and on the slopes of shadow and leeward expositions occurs actively in a natural way, as well as against the background of the performed reforestation works. During the post-fire period the soil of Underdeveloped section, psammosoil humus, was formed under the young forest. On the slopes of solar, upwind expositions, despite the actions taken to restore the forest stand, deflation zones, not covered with forest and with no signs of soil formation, are formed. Remote sensing methods made it possible to ascertain that for fifteen years of post-fire development, despite the performed reforestation, the area of uncovered deflation zones has increased in eleven times compared to the pre-fire period. It is recommended to include forest stand restoration in the form of loosening the charred soil on the territories damaged by ground fires, as well as repeated execution of forest planting works in the deflated areas considering protection of the forest edges from wind, into a set of measures to restore forest ecosystems after wildfires.
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