Avaliação da produtividade em áreas de campo sujo com diferentes históricos de fogo

Fire is a common event in different ecosystems and can both be caused by humans or have natural sources.. In many of these ecosystems, natural fires are an important factor that determines the vegetation. The reduction of tree cover by fire for example, resulted in the evolution of several species-rich ecosystems, dominated by C4 grasses. However, the fire caused by human actions may have greater intensity and lead to negative responses of vegetation, since man changed the fire regime in many parts of the world, such as in the Cerrado. The passage of fire can benefit herbaceous and woody seedlings that cannot compete with the dominant grass layer. It removes the dead biomass and litter (major components of the fuel load), opening up spaces within the grass matrix that allow the establishment of other species. After some time without fire, an increase in shrub cover and decrease herbaceous layer can be observed. One of the major consequences of the absence of fire in savanna and grassland ecosystems is the accumulation of flammable dead biomass (mainly composed of graminoids), which will probably be the fuel load of the next burning thus, fires will be more intense and hotter. Moreover, very frequent burns lead to a reduction in the frequency and density of grasses. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the quantity and quality of biomass in areas with different fire history (fire exclusion for 2 and 7 years) in areas of campo sujo in central Cerrado. Plots (1x1m) were established in both areas and all aboveground biomass of each plot was cut at ground level and put in paper bags in the field. In the laboratory, the material was sorted into live and dead biomass. In addition, live biomass was separated into different functional groups (graminoids, forbs, Vellozia spp, palm and shrubs). The material was oven dried for two days at 80°C and subsequently weighed. In both areas, we found a dominance of graminoid and dead biomass. The area...

A relação entre fogo e uma gramínea invasora no Cerrado: o fogo pode ser utilizado como uma estratégia de controle?

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeito da época da queima na dinâmica de campo sujo de Cerrado

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Log smoldering after an Amazonian deforestation fire

The characteristics of log smoldering after an Amazonian deforestation fire are described. The experiment was carried out in 2001 at the Caiabi farm, near the city of Alta Floresta, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, as part of a set of tests that have been performed in the same area since 1997. A 200 x 200m(2) test area was slashed in the beginning of June and burned on 20 August. The area contained 507 logs with diameter at breast height (DBH) higher than 10 cm, per hectare. In the day following the main burn 59 logs were found to remain smoldering, a number that corresponds to 2.9% of the total in the area. We chose 11 of the 59 logs to have their smoldering process monitored. Their diameter, moisture content and CHN dry biomass composition after the plot burn and before smoldering were determined. Other parameters such as temperature distribution while smoldering, porosity, density and mass volatilized during thermogravimetric test were also determined. Average smoldering speeds were in the range from 0.8 to 1.5 cm h(-1) for logs that smoldered without transition to the flaming regime. The average speed increased to 2.1 cm h(-1) for those logs that oscillated between smoldering and flaming. The speeds were lower overnight as compared to values determined during daytime for the same log. Higher log moisture contents were found to produce decreased speeds. Micro-porous biomass was not observed in the set of the 11 selected logs. Smoldering was observed to occur at substantial intensity in crossing of logs, with no longitudinal propagation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.