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Impacts of prescribed fire on water use efficiency and photosynthetic capacity in upland pine and oak forests
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Carlo, Nicholas J.. Impacts of prescribed fire on water use efficiency and photosynthetic capacity in upland pine and oak forests. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3377BBQ

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TitleImpacts of prescribed fire on water use efficiency and photosynthetic capacity in upland pine and oak forests
NameCarlo, Nicholas J. (author); Schafer, Karina V.R. (chair); Slater, Lee D. (internal member); Clark, Kenneth L. (outside member); Rutgers University; Graduate School - Newark
Date Created2014
Other Date2014-10 (degree)
SubjectEnvironmental Science, Forests and forestry, Water efficiency, Pine, Oak
Extent1 online resource (viii, 49 p. : ill.)
DescriptionA comparative analysis of the impacts of prescribed fire on an oak/pine and two pine dominated forest in the Northeastern US was conducted. Effects of prescribed fire on water use and photosynthetic capacity of overstory pines were estimated by sap-flux rates and photosynthetic measurements on Pinus rigida Mill. Study sites had two sap-flux plots, one experiencing prescribed fire and one control plot. Data were collected between 2011-2013. Control and burned plots were compared both before and after the fires. We found that photosynthetic capacity in terms of Rubisco-limited carboxylation rate (VCmax), carboxylation efficiency, and intrinsic water use efficiency were significantly greater in the burned vs. the control plot post-fire, while instantaneous internal to external CO2 concentration was significantly lower. Furthermore, pines in the pine dominated stands were less affected than pines in the mixed oak/pine stand, as δ13C and isotopic water use efficiency were significantly lower and water use efficiency and carboxylation efficiency were increased in the oak/pine stand post-fire compared to the control plot, but not in the pine dominated stands. Average daily sap-flux rates exhibited different patterns for each stand type due to differences in fuel consumption, increasing compared to control plots in pine dominated sites and decreasing in the oak/pine stand. Finally, when analyzed on the canopy scale, pines in pine-dominated forests were better suited to capitalize on available resources, as they were more sensitive to changes in vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in regards to transpiration, while pines in the oak/pine forest were unaffected in terms of stomatal responses to VPD. Therefore, prescribed fire affects physiological functioning and water use of pines, but many other factors can alter the degree to which these trees are affected, because results are dependent on stand type and fuel consumption differences, making broad-scale generalizations on the effects of prescribed fire difficult.
NoteM.S.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
NoteIncludes vita
Noteby Nicholas J. Carlo
Genretheses, ETD graduate
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3377BBQ
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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