Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Fire- and Logging-Affected Soils in the First Stages of Southern Appalachian Forest Ecosystem Study.

Forest management practices such as prescribed burning and thinning are commonly used to restore degraded forest communities in southern forest regions. Prescribed burning and thinning can negatively affect soil and forest floor by removing organic matter and reducing beneficial nutrients such as C and N through volatilization and leaching. Organic matter combustion during fire is of particular significance, as it may lead to the subsequent release of greenhouse gasses such as CO2, CH4 and N2O. The study was conducted to investigate impacts of prescribed burning and thinning on total carbon and nitrogen pools in a controlled time-series study. The effects of several burning and thinning treatments were tested on a Typic Hapludults at the Bankhead National Forest in Northern Alabama. Second-year forest recovery results are reported herein.