DOI: 10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7r9
title: Fire decreases soil respiration and its components in terrestrial ecosystems

description: The impact of fire on aboveground biomass has significant consequences on
 soil carbon (C) dynamics, which is essential in predicting the global C
 budget during the Anthropocene. However, there is considerable
 spatiotemporal variability in the directions and magnitudes of fire
 effects on soil respiration, and the drivers associated with these effects
 are not well understood. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis of 1327
 individual observations from 170 studies to determine the extent to which
 fire influenced soil total respiration (Rs), heterotrophic respiration
 (Rh), and autotrophic respiration (Ra). We found fires reduced Rs, Rh, and
 Ra, with an average effect of -11.0%, -17.5%, and -40.6%, compared to
 unburnt sites. Specifically, wildfires significantly
 reduced Rsand Rh (-20.4% and -25.0%,
 respectively), and prescribed fire significantly decreased Ra (-74.8%).
 The influences of fire on Rs and its components were moderated by
 fire severity, season, type, climate zones, and biomes. After several
 years from the time of the fire, the negative effects of fire
 on Rs diminished and then recovered to a state not
 significantly different from unburnt sites; Rh exhibited a similar but
 decayed temporal response. Similarly, the negative effects on Ra
 disappeared after 3 years following the latest fire. The magnitude of the
 effect on Rs was strongly associated with soil
 temperature, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen (N) content, and
 N-acquiring enzyme activity. In contrast, the magnitude of the effect
 on Rh significantly changed with pH, bulk density,
 texture, soil C and nutrient contents, and C- acquiring enzyme activity.
 Our findings advance the understanding of the inhibition and associated
 mechanisms of fire on Rs and its components, highlighting the
 need for new research efforts to predict the spatial-temporal shifts in
 underground C cycling induced by fire. 
description: We extracted data directly
 from text, tables, figures, and appendices from the primary articles using
 the Getdata 2.2.5 software. In cases where site coordinates were not
 provided, we estimated them by referring to site descriptions and cited
 sources. Additionally, for unavailable climate data, we used a global
 database (http://www.worldclim.org/) and used spatial coordinates to fill
 in the missing climate data.
description: # Fire decreases soil respiration and its components in terrestrial
 ecosystems
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7r9](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.x3ffbg7r9) ## Description of the data and file structure Our global dataset comprises a comprehensive compilation of measurements for soil respiration and its components (total respiration, heterotrophic respiration, and autotrophic respiration). The dataset also includes a large set of covariates, such as spatial coordinates (latitude and longitude), climate variables (mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation), and soil abiotic and biotic properties (e.g., pH, temperature, moisture, C, N, and P contents, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, microbial biomass C and N, and enzyme activities). Details of the Individual Variables: * Reference: Source of the data * Latitude: Latitude of the site (°); positive values represent northern latitudes, and negative values represent southern latitudes. * Longitude: Longitude of the site (°); positive values represent eastern longitudes, and negative values represent western longitudes. * MAT: Mean annual temperature (℃) * MAP: Mean annual precipitation (mm) * Biome: Biome of the site * Forest type: Forest type of the site; "null" indicates the site is not a forest. * Climate zone: Climate zone of the site * Fire type: Type of fire * Fire severity: Severity of the fire * Fire season: Burning season of the last fire * Post-fire Time: Time since the last fire (month） * Respiration: Measured respiration components; Rs, Rh, and Ra represent total respiration, heterotrophic respiration, and autotrophic respiration, respectively. * yi: Response ratio of respiration (unitless) * vi: Variance of the response ratio of respiration (unitless) * pH: Changes in soil pH (unitless) * ST: Response ratio of soil temperature (unitless) * Moisture: Response ratio of soil moisture (unitless) * Clay: Response ratio of soil clay content (unitless) * Silt: Response ratio of soil silt content (unitless) * Sand: Response ratio of soil sand content (unitless) * SOCck: Soil organic carbon content of unburnt observations (g/kg) * SOC: Response ratio of soil organic carbon content (unitless) * TC: Response ratio of soil total carbon content (unitless) * TN: Response ratio of soil total nitrogen content (unitless) * AP: Response ratio of available phosphorus content (unitless) * CN: Response ratio of carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (unitless) * BD: Response ratio of bulk density (unitless) * CEC: Response ratio of cation exchange capacity (unitless) * MBC: Response ratio of microbial biomass carbon content (unitless) * MBN: Response ratio of microbial biomass nitrogen content (unitless) * Ccyc: Response ratio of carbon-cycling enzyme activity (unitless) * Ncyc: Response ratio of nitrogen-cycling enzyme activity (unitless) * Pcyc: Response ratio of phosphorus-cycling enzyme activity (unitless) * Ocyc: Response ratio of oxidase activity (unitless) Missing values are indicated by "n/a". ## Sharing/Access information ## Code/Software We extracted data directly from text, tables, figures, and appendices from the primary articles using the Getdata 2.2.5 software. In cases where site coordinates were not provided, we estimated them by referring to site descriptions and cited sources. Additionally, for unavailable climate data, we used a global database (http://www.worldclim.org/) and used spatial coordinates to fill in the missing climate data.