Prescribed burns drive lasting changes in soil nitrogen cycling and microbial function.

Thirty years of prescribed fire in the Albany Pine Bush significantly depletes soil nitrate and reduces nitrogen-cycling microbial functions related to greenhouse gas emissions.

• Why it matters: Understanding how long-term fire management impacts soil microbial functions is crucial for managing biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and greenhouse gas emissions in fire-dependent ecosystems, yet this knowledge remains limited.
• What they did: The study analyzed soils from the Albany Pine Bush after 30 years of prescribed burning, using metagenomic sequencing to assess microbial community structure and functional potential, focusing on nitrogen cycling.
• The result: Long-term prescribed fire decreased soil inorganic nitrogen, particularly nitrate, and lowered the functional capacity for dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification, implying reduced nitrogen oxide emissions from soils.