Abstract
BackgroundSoil properties have important effects on fire occurrence and spread, but soils are often overlooked in fire prediction models. Quantifying soil−fire linkages is limited by information in conventional soil maps, but digital soil mapping products (e.g., detailed soil property maps) could improve both wildfire prediction models and post-fire management decisions.ResultsOf our estimated 3.7 Mkm2 of rangeland in the continental US and Alaska, an average of 38 000 km2 burned per year between 2008 and 2017. To highlight the role of soils in fire ecology, we present 1) a conceptual framework explaining why soil information can be useful for fire models, 2) a comprehensive suite of literature examples that used soil property information in traditional soil survey for predicting wildfire, and 3) specific examples of how more detailed soil information can be applied for pre- and post-fire decisions.ConclusionsDigital soil mapping can improve fire prediction models and inform post-fire management decisions.
Highlights
Wildfire affects an estimated 148.8 Mkm2 globally each year (van der Werf et al 2017), with a recent increase of burned area in rangelands associated with increasing population density (Bistinas et al 2013)
The goals of this paper are to illustrate the importance of including soil property information in fire prediction models and post-fire response, describe map-based soil information that is currently available, and discuss the potential for digital soil mapping to improve pre- and post-fire management decisions in rangelands
Soil properties are commonly assessed and used to predict erosion and landscape recovery after fire because they strongly influence these responses in burned areas
Summary
Wildfire affects an estimated 148.8 Mkm globally each year (van der Werf et al 2017), with a recent increase of burned area in rangelands associated with increasing population density (Bistinas et al 2013). Quantifying soil−fire linkages is limited by information in conventional soil maps, but digital soil mapping products (e.g., detailed soil property maps) could improve both wildfire prediction models and post-fire management decisions. Results: Of our estimated 3.7 Mkm of rangeland in the continental US and Alaska, an average of 38 000 km burned per year between 2008 and 2017. Conclusions: Digital soil mapping can improve fire prediction models and inform post-fire management decisions
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