FT-IR study of the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of three New Jersey pine barrens leaf litters during simulated control burning

Low intensity control burns are a standard fuel reduction management tool used in pine barrens ecosystems. Periodic disturbances through fire can be an important influence on the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that the inorganic chemistry of leaf litter residues differs with increasing temperature. Our study compared chemical changes in white oak (Quercus alba), pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), characteristic of the New Jersey pine barrens, during thermal decomposition using FT-IR spectroscopy. Three replicates of senescent leaf material were ground and separately heated for 2 h at: 100, 200, 300, 400 and 550 °C. These temperatures are representative of the range seen in fuel reducing prescribed burns in the pine barrens. Unburned litter of each species was used as a control. An optimization process using varying amounts of KBr and oak litter was performed to develop favorable FT-IR spectral conditions for a sample to KBr ratio of 0.75%. Chemometric analysis of the FT-IR spectra using principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of each litter plant species (leaf litter species) at each temperature. In general, it appears that there is clear separation of leaf litter species at the different combustion temperatures. Infrared spectroscopy illustrated that all three species shared wavenumbers characteristic of the primary components of leaves such as cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. Results from the PCA indicated separation of litter species and species by combustion temperature. PC axis 1 corresponds to the effects of temperature on leaf litter species and PC axis 2 separates the leaf litter species. At the low temperatures (control-200 °C), oak, pine and huckleberry litter species separated from each other. Wavenumbers that contributed to the separation of species at low temperatures belonged to functional group stretching frequencies of outer surface waxes, basic sugars, fatty acids and aldehydes. It appears that oak had more IR bands specific to suberin content. Convergence of these species occurs at 300 °C. Complexity of chemical composition decreases at this particular temperature as is shown by the decrease in wavenumber richness when compared to litters at low and high temperatures. Oak, pine and huckleberry had similar IR spectra showing bands belonging to outer surface wax content, pectin, lignin and hemicellulose. With increasing temperatures (400-550 °C), differences between litter species increased slightly. Plant material was reduced to similar composition due to thermal decomposition, which consisted of inorganic materials such as carbonate, phosphate and sulfate ions and possible fused aromatics.