Do Wildfires Cause Changes in Soil Quality in the Short Term?

Valeria Memoli,Gabriella Di Natale,Anna De Marco,Giulia Maisto,Aldo Di Nunzio,Maria Toscanesi,Rossella Barile,Speranza Claudia Panico,Marco Trifuoggi,Lucia Santorufo

doi:10.3390/ijerph17155343

Abstract

Wildfires have high frequency and intensity in the Mediterranean ecosystems that deeply modify the soil abiotic (i.e., pH, contents of water, organic matter and elements) and biotic properties (i.e., biomass and activity). In 2017, an intense wildfire occurred inside the Vesuvius National Park (Southern Italy), destroying approximately 50% of the existing plant cover. So, the research aimed to evaluate the fire effects on soil quality through single soil abiotic and biotic indicators and through an integrated index (SQI). To achieve the aim, soil samples were collected inside the Vesuvius National Park at 12 sampling field points before fire (BF) and after fire (AF). The findings highlighted that in AF soil, the contents of water and total carbon, element availability, respiration and the dehydrogenase activity were lower than in BF soil; in contrast, pH and hydrolase activity were significantly higher in AF soil. The microbial biomass and activity were affected by Al, Cr and Cu availability in both BF and AF soils. Despite the variations in each investigated soil abiotic and biotic property that occurred in AF soil, the overall soil quality did not significantly differ as compared to that calculated for the BF soil. The findings provide a contribution to the baseline definition of the properties and quality of burnt soil and highlight the short-term effects of fire on volcanic soil in the Mediterranean area.

Highlights

In Mediterranean ecosystems, fires have high frequency and intensity due to dry and warm climatic conditions and to the presence of vegetation prone to widespread crown fires [1,2]
The mean value of pH was significantly higher in after fire (AF) soil (Table 1)
The lower total C content detected in AF soil as compared to the before fire (BF) soil, concentrations in soil

Summary

Introduction

In Mediterranean ecosystems, fires have high frequency and intensity due to dry and warm climatic conditions and to the presence of vegetation prone to widespread crown fires [1,2] In these ecosystems, fires act as evolutionary pressure, shaping plant traits and stimulating adaptive responses by forests [3], but they play a key role in modifying soil abiotic properties, microorganism abundance and activity and, in turn, the relationships between plant and soil communities [4]. Fires act as evolutionary pressure, shaping plant traits and stimulating adaptive responses by forests [3], but they play a key role in modifying soil abiotic properties, microorganism abundance and activity and, in turn, the relationships between plant and soil communities [4] This is noticeable in arid zones where biological soil activity is dependent on climate [5]. Public Health 2020, 17, 5343; doi:10.3390/ijerph17155343 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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