Effects of fire and grazing on biogeochemical cycles in Brazilian pastures using LPJmL5-Pasture-Burning

Abstract

Abstract. Farmers across the world frequently use fire during the winter or dry season, to remove accumulated dead pasture biomass. These fire-management practices have profound effects on vegetation, soil nutrients, and biogeochemical cycles, yet they are rarely represented in process-based fire models embedded within Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs). We couple the Chalumeau algorithm, which estimates expected burning dates, with the SPITFIRE module in the DGVM LPJmL and enable the modelling of fire as a grassland management method. Using this model development, we examine the short- and long-term impacts of varying burning strategies, frequencies, and livestock densities across distinct regions, using Brazil as a case study. Our results show that integrating grazing and fire management leads to a gradual decline in vegetation carbon, accompanied by a substantial reduction of the ecosystem and soil nitrogen. This study emphasises the importance of incorporating such practices into DGVMs to enhance the accuracy of impact assessments for pasture management. Furthermore, our findings call for improved data collection describing fire usage methods by farmers, as well as long-term measurements, particularly on vegetation, soil carbon and nitrogen development under burning practices.