Section

Ecology

Title

THE FEATURES OF MICROCLIMATIC REGIME OF THE STEPPE BURNT AREAS IN THE RESERVE "BURTINSKAYA STEPPE"

Сontributors

V. M. Pavleichik, Head of the Laboratory, Institute of the Steppe UB RAS, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

O.G. Kalmykova, Senior researcher, Institute of the steppe UB RAS, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

O.V. Soroka, Deputy Director for science, Joint Directorate of State Nature Reserve "Orenburgskii" and "Shaitan-Tau", This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of microclimatic features of steppe ecosystems in “the Burtinskaya steppe” (Reserve “Orenburgskii”), which underwent a fire in 2014 and are in the process of recovery succession. As the main evidence, the measurement results produced by stand alone recorders of temperature and humidity in the pairs of points, which are located in neighboring areas are taken. One recorder from the pair was in the burnt area and the other in not-burnt area. Additionally, the results of previous research with similar aims conducted on the basis of interpretation of Landsat imagery are taken into account. The findings revealed the features of the microclimatic regime of the burnt steppes. The most significant differences between the control and burnt areas are conditioned by low capacity of the snow cover in the burned areas because of the sparse vegetation, or the absolute absence of the aboveground parts of plants. This leads to a significant freezing of the soil in burned areas and the deterioration of the spring moisture conditions. In summer, in most cases, there is an increased thermal background in the burnt area. This difference is most constant at the level of 30 cm below the soil surface. The ambiguity of the interpretation of the temperature data from the recorders on the soil surface requires a decision on the specificity of point measurements. In this regard, for similar studies keeping thermal channels of satellite imagery data is proposed. The results indicate that the micro-climatic conditions of the burnt areas have their own features and greatly contrast with the background territories. The thermal regime of the soil surface is one of the indicators on the basis of which it is possible to formulate indirect conclusions about the state and dynamics of vegetation.

Keywords

steppe fires, a burnt area, microclimate indicators, recovery processes, monitoring after the fire.

References

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