Fig. 5: Fire management to enhance the contribution of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) to savanna and global long-term carbon sequestration.

Fire management can prioritize savannas with higher potential for PyC preservation—such as those on clay-rich, basalt-derived soils—to enhance long-term carbon sequestration within these ecosystems. However, to maximize the contribution of savanna-derived PyC to global long-term carbon sequestration, fire management should also emphasize the use of prescribed burns to maintain savanna openness and restore natural fire regimes in savannas that have experienced historical woody encroachment.