One of the work packages (WPs) or areas of expertise of FIRE-ADAPT is ‘Carbon dynamics’ (WP1). In this interview with its co-leaders, Pere Casals, researcher at the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalunya (CTFC) and Davide Ascoli, lecturer at the University of Turin (UniTo), we dive into the work of WP1.
What does ‘Carbon dynamics’ mean?
Davide: In ecosystems, Carbon is present in plants and other living things, the soil (buried as charcoal, for example) and in the atmosphere as gases such as carbon dioxide or methane. It moves between these ecosystem compartments or Carbon pools, and Carbon dynamics refers to knowing where it is, in which state, and how much of it there is.
What is the goal of WP1?
Davide: Fire forces Carbon to move through the ecosystem, between compartments. For example, it can oxidise it, transforming it into carbon dioxide that goes into the atmosphere. WP1 aims to understand how different fire management practices affect Carbon fluxes through different pools. For example, treatments to reduce fuel include cutting the vegetation and leaving it on the ground, from where some of the Carbon will pass into the soil; and prescribed burns, which release some of the Carbon into the atmosphere in the form of greenhouse gases, but in much smaller quantities than those released by a severe fire. How much Carbon stays in a particular pool, and how much moves and where with certain treatments? What happens if we compare burnt and unburnt areas, different types of treatments, time since fire, or frequency or severity of prescribed burns?
Give us an example of a technique you use to study Carbon fluxes
Pere: For the understory, a simple method that can be applied consists of, firstly, estimating the cover and height of the vegetation and, secondly, performing a calculation. This calculation involves using a formula that converts the volume of vegetation to tons of Carbon per hectare. You do that before and after, for example, a fire treatment, and you find out how much Carbon has been lost from what was stored in the understory.
What will WP1 generate?
Pere: Two main outputs. One of these is a practical protocol to be able to estimate, easily and economically, both at the level of material and human resources, the effect of fire use on the Carbon of the vegetation and the soil.
Davide: Yes, and this protocol aims to be universal so that it can be applied anywhere. We have tested it at three Study Hubs (Mexico in December 2023, Brazil in June 2024, France in early 2025) as well as in Italy. Furthermore, all partners from Europe and Latin America are welcome to use it in their experimental sites. The idea is to generate data that will feed other outputs.
We are also describing the state of the art of methodologies and approaches to monitor Carbon: what’s in the literature, monitoring programmes carried out by fire management agencies globally, etc. So, all the span of protocols and methodologies, from very low-cost and low-intensity to high-cost and high-intensity that require, for example, more sophisticated equipment, lab analysis and remote sensing data.
What do you expect to see by applying the protocol you are developing to assess the effect of different fire uses on Carbon pools?
Pere: A wildfire produces a very significant loss of Carbon from the affected systems. A low-intensity fire, managed by expert technicians, and a traditional or prescribed burn, despite involving a loss of Carbon, cause lesser effects on the ecosystem, biodiversity or property than those caused by a severe fire. Burns and the management of low-intensity fires help restore fire’s role in the ecosystem, creating more diverse landscapes and opportunities to thrive for fire-dependent species. Also, if using fire helps prevent a large wildfire from occurring, thanks to fuel reduction, then you avoid a significant loss of Carbon from the system.
Is this protocol designed to study the effects of any fire use on Carbon pools?
Pere: Basically, traditional and prescribed burns. Our idea is to have a simple protocol that allows you to estimate the effects of the fire you are using on different components of the ecosystem.
What profiles are you working with to develop the protocol?
Pere: On one hand, technicians and early-stage and senior researchers from the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia and the University of Turin. On the other hand, practitioners who know a lot about fire because they use it daily. These include firefighters who use it to reduce fuel for wildfire prevention, nature agents that use fire to restore pastures or improve habitats for biodiversity, and forest managers who use it to, for example, remove the remains generated by a forestry task, such as clearing.
How will the protocol and data you are generating help practitioners?
Pere: Our experience in other projects and studies tells us that the synergy between researchers and fire practitioners is very fruitful. It helps researchers to keep the research question focused, and, in turn, practitioners can see the impacts of their fire use. They know their purpose, but they don’t know if that fire can be harmful to other parts of the system that are not the ones they have in mind (e.g., leaf litter on the ground, or tree growth). Also, it can help better understand the use of fire, as there may be a perception that all fire is harmful, but in reality, it’s not. Having methodologies that help you see the effects of fire allows you to give objective information on its impacts.
