Soil Biological Responses under Different Vegetation Types in Mediterranean Area

Speranza Claudia Panico, Valeria Memoli, Lucia Santorufo, Stefania Aiello, Rossella Barile, Anna De Marco and Giulia Maisto
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Speranza Claudia Panico: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Valeria Memoli: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Lucia Santorufo: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Stefania Aiello: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy
Rossella Barile: Parco Nazionale del Vesuvio, Via Palazzo del Principe c/o Castello Mediceo, 80044 Ottaviano, Italy
Anna De Marco: BAT Center—Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Giulia Maisto: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: The knowledge of the effects of fire on soil properties is of particular concern in Mediterranean areas, where the effects of vegetation type are still scarce also. This research aimed: to assess the properties of burnt soils under different vegetation types; to highlight the soil abiotic properties driving the soil microbial biomass and activity under each vegetation type; to compare the biological response in unburnt and burnt soils under the same vegetation type, and between unburnt and burnt soils under different vegetation types. The soils were collected at a Mediterranean area where a large wildfire caused a 50% loss of the previous vegetation types (holm oak: HO, pine: P, black locust: BL, and herbs: H), and were characterized by abiotic (pH, water, and organic matter contents; N concentrations; and C/N ratios) and biotic (microbial and fungal biomasses, microbial respiration, soil metabolic quotient, and hydrolase and dehydrogenase activities) properties. The biological response was evaluated by the Integrative Biological Responses (IBR) index. Before the fire, organic matter and N contents were significantly higher in P than H soils. After the fire, significant increases of pH, organic matter, C/N ratio, microbial biomass and respiration, and hydrolase and dehydrogenase activities were observed in all the soils, especially under HO. In conclusion, the post-fire soil conditions were less favorable for microorganisms, as the IBR index decreased when compared to the pre-fire conditions.

Keywords: integrative biological responses index; unburnt and burnt soils; Pinus pinea L.; Quercus ilex L.; Robinia pseudoacacia L.; herbaceous species (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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