Contribution of Tree Regeneration to the Formation of Fuel Complexes and Carbon Emissions from Fires in the Minusinsk Ribbon-like Pine Forests of the Krasnoyarsk krai

Forests occupy a significant proportion of the Earth's land surface and act an essential role in accumulating atmospheric carbon. Under conditions of global climate change, forest fires and pyrogenic emissions are increasing, particularly in Siberia. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) regeneration in the formation of forest fuel complexes (FFC) and to estimate carbon emissions from the combustion of FFC in the Minusinsk Ribbon-like Pine Forests. The research was conducted on two sample plots of Scots pine regeneration of combined (SP1) and natural (SP2) origin, formed after the fire of 2007 and re-burned in 2022. In addition, control forest plots that did not burn in 2022 were investigated. It was found that postfire reforestation on the sample plots is successful, with the number of trees reaching 21.5 and 16.3 thousand individuals/ha on SP1 and SP2, respectively. The total phytomass of model pine trees is 50-330% higher on the area with natural post-fire regeneration (SP2) than on the sample plot with combined regeneration (SP1). The total loads of regeneration and ground fuels were 38.3 t/ha and 32.5 t/ha, with the phytomass of regeneration accounting for 77% and 73% on SP1 and SP2, respectively. The fires consumed 11.9 and 13.8 t/ha of organic matter, with a pyrogenic emission of 5.17 tC/ha for SP1 and 6.15 tC/ha for SP2. The contribution of regeneration to fire carbon emissions was 29% for SP 1 and 43% for SP 2, with burnt needles accounting for 22% for SP 1 and 35% for SP 2, which is associated with a more developed tree crown on SP2. Overall, despite the fact that pine ribbon-like forests are characterized by high firefrequency, the forest-growing characteristics of the region and the frequent landscape fires inhibit the accumulation of significant forest fuels, resulting in lower fire emissions per unit area compared to the southern and central taiga zones of Siberia.

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