Abstract
Fire is a key controlling factor in ecosystem dynamics worldwide, especially, in tropical areas under slash-and-burn agricultural systems. Farmers use fire as a tool to clean the land, and benefit from nutrient enrichment from ash-soil heating. However, fire can cause some detrimental effects on soil systems, such as organic carbon depletion, increased soil erodibility, and changes to aggregate stability. In this study, an experimental fire was applied to a plot of land following the local traditional practice of slash-and-burn. The fire temperature was monitored in the field, and its effect on soil aggregate stability was assessed. The fire temperature on soil surface was measured in four trenches, and it ranged from 355 to 660 °C (average 484 ± 142 °C). The fire temperature did not affect soil organic matter content. However, aggregate stability increased by 10 % in comparison to unburned soil. Moreover, the geometric mean diameter of burned soil was 20 % higher than that of unburned soil. In conclusion, high fire temperature changes soil aggregate stability in slash-and-burn agricultural systems.
Highlights
The soil is a key component of the Earth system that control the biological, hydrological, geomorphological and geochemical cycles
Fire temperature dynamics Surface soil fire temperatures measured in the four trenches ranged from 355 to 660 °C (Figure 2A)
The temperatures registered were similar to those found in the literature, since high surface temperatures persist for only a few seconds (Bento-Gonçalves et al, 2012) and temperature decreases at depth (DeBano et al, 1998)
Summary
The soil is a key component of the Earth system that control the biological, hydrological, geomorphological and geochemical cycles. Fires have proven to significantly change the hydrological and geomorphological processes in hillslope (Lasanta and Cerdà, 2005; Shakesby and Doerr, 2006; Keesstra et al, 2014). Most studies that investigate fire effects on soil properties have assessed mostly wildfire conditions (Bento-Gonçalves et al, 2012; Certini, 2005; DeBano, 2000; Shakesby and Doerr, 2006). One study discussed in that review focused on the effects of slash-and-burn agricultural systems on soil quality in tropical environments (Are et al, 2009). No-tillage is practiced in the slash-and-burn agriculture as one of oldest system of soil management (Cerri et al, 2007)
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