FIRE EFFECTS ON WATER AND CARBON FLUXES IN AMAZONIA

The ongoing deforestation process in Amazonia has led to intensified forest fires in the region, after more than a decade of effective forest conservation policy. This study aims to investigate the recovery of two mature sub-montane ombrophile Amazonian forests affected by fire in terms of energy, water and carbon fluxes utilizing remote sensing (MODIS) and climate reanalysis data (GLDAS). These two forest plots, mainly composed of Manilkara spp. (Maçaranduba), Protium spp. (Breu) (~30 m), Bertholletia excelsa (Castanheira) and Dinizia excelsa Ducke (Angelim-Pedra) (~50 m), were subject to fire on the same day, September 12, 2010. The fire significantly increased land surface temperature (0.8 °C) and air temperature (1.2 °C) in the forests over a three year interval. However, the forests showed an ability to recover their original states in terms of coupling between the carbon and water cycles comparing the three-year periods before and after the fires.