COMBUSTION IN NATURAL FIRES AND GLOBAL EMISSIONS BUDGETS

1998 
Fires in tropical savannas are a principal source of emissions to the atmosphere, but there are few studies of retention in ash and residual plant mass following natural fires. Estimates of carbon and nitrogen emissions to the atmosphere from biomass burning have relied largely on indirect measures from laboratory incineration. Emissions from incinerated samples are then extrapolated to areally extensive field estimates of flammable plant biomass. In addition, both direct sampling of smoke plumes and comparison to ambient atmospheric samples, with combustion efficiency estimated by ratios of trace gases to carbon dioxide in plumes, are employed. To the extent that combustion in natural fires departs from laboratory burning or that assumed average standing crops are inaccurate, indirect estimates based on laboratory emissions will be in error. Similarly, the relation of emission ratios to natural fire intensity is poorly understood and will influence the accuracy of estimates based on plume sampling. Recen...
    • Correction
    • Source
    • Cite
    • Save
    • Machine Reading By IdeaReader
    20
    References
    43
    Citations
    NaN
    KQI
    []