As larger and more frequent fires continue to shape landscapes in the Great Basin and across the western United States, it is increasingly important to understand how fire influences ecosystem processes such as carbon and nitrogen retention, streamflow, and water quality. Studies that couple carbon and nitrogen dynamics with vegetation recovery following fire can help us identify when and under what circumstances wildfires are changing the structure and function of Great Basin plant communities, ecosystems and watersheds. To examine how burn severity interacts with the composition of recovering herbaceous species and soil biogeochemical dynamics, we sampled vegetation and soils from burned and unburned plots following a wildfire that burned a portion of Lamoille Canyon Recreation area outside of Elko, NV, USA. We quantified the cover, presence, and biomass of herbaceous species and analyzed foliar carbon and nitrogen content at the peak of the first postfire growing season. We also collected mineral soil and forest floor samples (where present) and measured their carbon and nitrogen content, microbial biomass, pH and net mineralization and nitrification rates.
Results/Conclusions
Preliminary data show that in the first year postfire, herbaceous species composition differs between burned and unburned plots and that soil microbial biomass is negatively associated with burn severity. These results, though preliminary, contribute to our understanding of how fire influences herbaceous community dynamics and soil biogeochemical dynamics in Eastern Nevada. Future work will involve continued sampling of vegetation, soils and forest floor. We will also use our results to inform an ecohydrological model that we will use to examine possible effects of changing climate, plant invasion, and fire regimes on ecosystem processes.