Terrestrial carbon dynamics in an era of increasing wildfire

Tara Hudiburg, Justin Mathias, Kristina Bartowitz, Danielle M. Berardi, Kelsey Bryant, Emily Graham, Crystal A. Kolden, Richard A. Betts, Laurel Lynch

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

In an increasingly flammable world, wildfire is altering the terrestrial carbon balance. However, the degree to which novel wildfire regimes disrupt biological function remains unclear. Here, we synthesize the current understanding of above- and belowground processes that govern carbon loss and recovery across diverse ecosystems. We find that intensifying wildfire regimes are increasingly exceeding biological thresholds of resilience, causing ecosystems to convert to a lower carbon-carrying capacity. Growing evidence suggests that plants compensate for fire damage by allocating carbon belowground to access nutrients released by fire, while wildfire selects for microbial communities with rapid growth rates and the ability to metabolize pyrolysed carbon. Determining controls on carbon dynamics following wildfire requires integration of experimental and modelling frameworks across scales and ecosystems.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1306-1316
Number of pages11
JournalNature Climate Change
Volume13
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2023
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Science (miscellaneous)
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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