The impact of wildfire on the variability of net CO₂ flux and its components in wetlands (a case study on Biebrza National Park, Poland)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26485/AGL/2025/118/11Keywords:
Carbon dioxide exchange, wetland, CO2 flux, biomass burning, NE PolandAbstract
Vertical carbon dioxide (CO2) exchange measurements in Kopytkowo (Middle Basin of the Biebrza National Park, NE Poland) have been conducted since 2012. Continuous measurements have enabled us to characterise the temporal variability of CO2 fluxes and the factors that determine it. These include, above all, air and ground temperature, groundwater level, liquid and solid precipitation, and the length of snow cover. Because these factors show long-term variability, the CO2 exchange rates also change from year to year. Short-term processes (both natural and anthropogenic) are also occasionally observed in wetland ecosystems, but the changes they cause are long-lasting. One such process (alongside, for example, mowing of low vegetation or intense hailfall) is wildfire. On April 20–25, 2020, a large fire in the Middle Basin of the Biebrza National Park burned 5,526 ha of marshes, which is about 9.5% of the park's area. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of the fire on the temporal variability of net CO2 exchange in the wetland area. Initially, due to the complete burning of vegetation, a significant decrease in CO2 exchange intensity was observed, which, with vegetation regrowth in June and July 2020, was clearly higher than in 2017–2019. The study also analysed the impact that vegetation burning in wetlands has on the components of the net CO2 flux – respiration and gross primary production.
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