Abstract
Prescribed burning is a tool that is frequently used for various land management objectives, mainly related to reduction of hazardous forest fuels, habitat management and ecological restoration. Given the crucial role of soil in forest ecosystem processes and functions, assessing the effects of prescribed burning on soil is particularly relevant. This study reviews research on the impacts of repeated prescribed burning on the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. The available information shows that the effects are highly variable, rather inconsistent and generally minor for most of the soil characteristics studied, while a number of soil properties show contrasting responses. On the other hand, ecosystem characteristics, differences in fire severity, frequency of application and the cumulative effect of treatment repetition over time, have possibly made it more difficult to find a more common response in soil attributes. Our study has also revealed some limitations of previous research that may have contributed to this result, including a limited number of long-term studies, conducted at a few experimental sites, and in a limited number of forest ecosystems. Research issues concerning the effects of prescribed fire on soil are presented. The need to integrate such research into a broader interdisciplinary framework, encompassing the role of the fire regime on ecosystem functions and processes, is also highlighted.
Highlights
Prescribed burning is commonly used to modify fuel quantity and continuity and to reduce the potential occurrence and extent of high-severity wildfires in fire-prone areas [1,2,3]
Planned field experiments aimed at studying the impact of repeated prescribed burning on soil properties are rare in Europe, and the available information is provided by experimental burns that induce medium- or high- rather than low-severity fires [18]
The objectives of the review were to: (1) identify common responses of the soils physical, chemical and biological properties caused by repeated prescribed burning and (2) detect knowledge gaps and suggest research topics to help understand the role of frequency of low-severity prescribed fires in soil
Summary
Prescribed burning is commonly used to modify fuel quantity and continuity and to reduce the potential occurrence and extent of high-severity wildfires in fire-prone areas [1,2,3]. Planned field experiments aimed at studying the impact of repeated prescribed burning on soil properties are rare in Europe, and the available information is provided by experimental burns that induce medium- or high- rather than low-severity fires [18]. The objectives of the review were to: (1) identify common responses of the soils physical, chemical and biological properties caused by repeated prescribed burning and (2) detect knowledge gaps and suggest research topics to help understand the role of frequency of low-severity prescribed fires in soil. These sub-sections contain comparative tables of the properties considered, indicating the vegetation type, the frequency of prescribed fire application, the sampling time and the change in relation to unburned soils.
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