Abstract
Wildfires may produce several changes in the short- and longterm in the landscape and in the soil system. The magnitude of these changes induced by fire in the components of ecosystems (water, soil, vegetation and fauna) depends on fire properties (fire intensity and severity) and environmental factors (vegetation, soil, geomorphology, etc.). The most important impacts on soils in the short-term are the reduction of vegetation cover (which increases soil erosion risk), the deposition of ash after combustion of biomass, the induction of enhancement of water repellency and changes in the structure and soil components. Combustion of biomass and soil organic matter also results in the release of gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere. Similarly, the changes induced by fire on the biological soil components (vegetation, animals and soil microorganisms) may occur rapidly and produce a large-scale response. The long-term effects of fire on soils and water may well persist for relatively short periods (hours, days or months), long (years or tens of years), or be permanent depending on the severity of fire and fire regime. Some of these effects are a consequence of the relationship between fire, soil, hydrology and nutrient cycling
Highlights
Fire is one of the most important causes of impacts in ecosystems (Eiten, 1992; Neary et al, 1999; Bond and Keeley, 2005; Certini, 2005; Neary et al, 2005; Kutiel, 2006)
In this article we review the effects of fire on
If the temperature is high enough, there may be a stronger aggregation due to recrystallization of Fe and Al hydroxides. This increase is positive for soil protection against erosion, it means no benefit for soil-system functioning, as this increased stability is promoted by melting clays and similar causes, in the case of aggregates with a very small amount of organic matter
Summary
Fire is one of the most important causes of impacts in ecosystems (Eiten, 1992; Neary et al, 1999; Bond and Keeley, 2005; Certini, 2005; Neary et al, 2005; Kutiel, 2006). Fire impacts on the soil are basically of two types (Neary et al, 1999): direct, as a result of the combustion of organic matter and the temperatures reached in the soil, and indirect, as a result of changes in other components of the ecosystem, such as reduced vegetation cover, charred litter or the deposition of partially burned plant residues and ash (Cerdà and Doerr, 2008) or changes in flora (Trabaud, 2000; Pausas and Verdú, 2005) The severity of these impacts depends heavily on fire intensity, duration and frequency (Inbar et al, 1998; Flannigan et al, 2000; Robichaud et al, 2000). In this article we review the effects of fire on [i] biological, [ii] chemical [iii] and physical properties of Mediterranean forest soils
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