Effects of prescribed fire on surface soil in a Pinus pinaster plantation, northern Portugal

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 73; no. 6; pp. 3011 - 3018
• Main Authors: Meira-Castro, A, Shakesby, R. A, Espinha Marques, J, Doerr, S. H, Meixedo, J. P, Teixeira, J, Chaminé, H. I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01.03.2015; Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Ash; Biogeosciences; bulk density; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Engineering; Forest & brush fires; Forest soils; forests; fuel loading; Geochemistry; Geology; Grasslands; guidelines; Hydrology/Water Resources; Moisture content; monitoring; Organic matter; Pine trees; Pinus pinaster; Plantations; Porosity; prescribed burning; Prescribed fire; risk; Risk reduction; shrublands; Soil properties; Soil surfaces; Soils; Studies; Terrestrial Pollution; Thematic Issue; Vegetation; water content; Water resources; Wildfires; Portugal; ANE, Portugal; MED; NW Portugal; Soil quality; forest; Prescribed fire; Soil disturbance
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-014-3516-y

In order to decrease the risk of severe wildfire, prescribed fire has recently been adopted in Portugal and elsewhere in the Mediterranean as a major tool for reducing the fuel load instead of manual or mechanical removal of vegetation. There has been some research into its impact on soils in shrublands and grasslands, but to date little research has been conducted in forested areas in the region. As a result, the impact of prescribed fire on the physico-chemical soil characteristics of forest soils has been assumed to be minimal, but this has not been demonstrated. In this study, we present the results of a monitoring campaign of a detailed pre- and post-prescribed fire assessment of soil properties in a long-unburnt P. pinaster plantation, NW Portugal. The soil characteristics examined were pH, total porosity, bulk density, moisture content, organic matter content and litter/ash quantity. The results show that there was no significant impact on the measured soil properties, the only effect being confined to minor changes in the upper 1 cm of soil. We conclude that provided the fire is carried out according to strict guidelines in P. pinaster forest, a minimal impact on soil properties can be expected.