Effects of Fire on the Organic and Chemical Properties of Soil in a Pinus halepensis Mill. Forest in Rocallaura, NE Spain

Miquel Àngel Xifré-Salvadó, Núria Prat-Guitart, Marcos Francos, Xavier Úbeda and Marc Castellnou
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Miquel Àngel Xifré-Salvadó: Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and History, Universitat de Barcelona, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Núria Prat-Guitart: Pau Costa Foundation, Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, 08552 Taradell, Spain
Marcos Francos: Departamento de Ciencias Históricas y Geográficas, Universidad de Tarapacá, 1000000 Arica, Chile
Xavier Úbeda: Department of Geography, Faculty of Geography and History, Universitat de Barcelona, 08001 Barcelona, Spain
Marc Castellnou: Grup de Recolzament d’Actuacions Forestals (GRAF), Bombers de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Av. de Serragalliners, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: The present study was conducted following a fire that took place in Rocallaura (NE Iberian Peninsula) in 23 June 2016 with the aim of analyzing the chemical properties of soil in burnt and unburnt areas in order to determine the short-term effects of fire on an ecosystem dominated by Pinus halepensis Mill. Transects were laid out in a control area and an adjacent burnt area. Laboratory analyses were performed to determine the chemical properties of the organic and mineral soil layers at 5 cm and 10 cm (total carbon, total nitrogen, organic and inorganic carbon, carbonates, pH, electrical conductivity, and major cations). The results show partial combustion of the organic substrate, with a significant increase in TC, OC, TN, EC and K + , and a slight decrease in pH in the post-fire area compared to the control area, demonstrating that the fire was of low intensity and did not generate significant short-term negative impacts on the soil. Soils of this type, with high organic matter content, tend to maintain their structure after a low-intensity fire and retain the nutrients necessary for ecosystem recovery and resilience.

Keywords: wildfire; chemical properties; low intensity fire; forest management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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