Modelling the effect of soil burn severity on soil erosion at hillslope scale in the first year following wildfire in NW Spain

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 928-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Fernández ◽  
José A. Vega
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
First Year ◽  
Nw Spain ◽  
Soil Burn Severity ◽  
Hillslope Scale

scholarly journals Exploring the use of spectral indices to assess alterations in soil properties in pine stands affected by crown fire in Spain

Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Fernández ◽  
José Mª Fernández-Alonso ◽  
José A. Vega ◽  
Teresa Fontúrbel ◽  
Rafael Llorens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Spectral Indices ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Mean Weight Diameter ◽  
Soil Burn Severity ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Changes In Soil Properties

Abstract Background Forest fires have increased in extent and intensity in the Mediterranean area in recent years, threatening forest ecosystems through loss of vegetation, changes in soil properties, and increased soil erosion rates, particularly in severely burned areas. However, establishing the relationships between burn severity and soil properties that determine infiltration remain challenging. Determining where soil burn severity evaluation should be carried out is critical for planning urgent measures to mitigate post-fire soil erosion. Although previous research has indicated that spectral indices are suitable for assessing fire severity, most of the classifications used consider combined effects in vegetation and soil. Moreover, the relationship between spectral indices and soil burn severity has scarcely been explored until now. Results We selected three pine stands in Spain for study immediately after being burned by wildfires. We analyzed various soil properties (soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, and soil organic carbon) in relation to six levels of soil burn severity in all three stands. In addition, we established 25 field plots in the burned areas. We computed ten spectral indices for each plot by using Sentinel-2 satellite data. The soil burn severity categories indicated the degree of degradation of important soil properties related to soil erosion susceptibility. Of the spectral indices considered, the relativized burn ratio (RBR) was the best predictor of cumulative infiltration and mean weight diameter of soil aggregates. The differenced mid-infrared bispectral index (dMIRBI) was most closely correlated with soil organic carbon content. Conclusions The findings demonstrate the potential applicability of remote sensing to determining changes in soil properties after fire.

Effects of soil burn severity on germination and initial establishment of maritime pine seedlings, under greenhouse conditions, in two contrasting experimentally burned soils

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Fontúrbel ◽  
J. A. Vega ◽  
P. Pérez-Gorostiaga ◽  
C. Fernández ◽  
M. Alonso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Maritime Pine ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
First Year ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Pine Seedlings ◽  
Soil Burn Severity

The effects of soil burn severity on initial establishment of maritime pine in burned areas are not well known. Many factors may interact in the field, thus making it difficult to determine the exact role played by soil burn severity in the post-fire regeneration process. Monoliths of two contrasting soils – an acid, coarse-textured soil, with high organic matter content, and a neutral heavy-textured soil with low organic matter content – were experimentally burned to provide two markedly different levels of soil burn severity. The burned monoliths were sown with Pinus pinaster seeds and then placed in a greenhouse under a preselected water regime to determine the effect of burn severity on emergence and initial establishment of pine seedlings. High soil burn severity in the coarse-textured soils delayed germination, increased mortality and temporarily decreased the height of pine seedlings in the first year after sowing. This response was affected by: soil heating level, soil C consumption, post-fire soil C, depth of burn and post-fire duff-depth. Ash had no influence on the above processes. These factors did not explain the variability in the response of regeneration variables in the heavy-textured soils. The applicability of the results to field conditions is discussed.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Composite Burn Index and Land Surface Temperature for Assessing Soil Burn Severity in Mediterranean Fire-Prone Pine Ecosystems

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Marcos ◽  
Víctor Fernández-García ◽  
Alfonso Fernández-Manso ◽  
Carmen Quintano ◽  
Luz Valbuena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Land Surface Temperature ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Soil Burn Severity ◽  
Changes In Soil Properties

We analysed the relationship between burn severity indicators, from remote sensing and field observations, and soil properties after a wildfire in a fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystem. Our study area was a large wildfire in a Pinus pinaster forest. Burn severity from remote sensing was identified by studying immediate post-fire Land Surface Temperature (LST). We also evaluated burn severity in the field applying the Composite Burn Index (CBI) in a total of 84 plots (30 m diameter). In each plot we evaluated litter consumption, ash colour and char depth as visual indicators. We collected soil samples and pH, soil organic carbon, dry aggregate size distribution (MWD), aggregate stability and water repellency were analysed. A controlled heating of soil was also carried out in the laboratory, with soil from the control plots, to compare with the changes produced in soils affected by different severity levels in the field. Our results shown that changes in soil properties affected by wildfire were only observed in soil aggregation in the high severity situation. The laboratory-controlled heating showed that temperatures of about 300 °C result in a significant reduction in soil organic carbon and MWD. Furthermore, soil organic carbon showed a significant decrease when LST values increased. Char depth was the best visual indicator to show changes in soil properties (mainly physical properties) in large fires that occur in Mediterranean pine forests. We conclude that CBI and post-fire LST can be considered good indicators of soil burn severity since both indicate the impact of fire on soil properties.

Implications of model uncertainty for the mapping of hillslope-scale soil erosion predictions

2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1333-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Brazier ◽  
Keith J. Beven ◽  
Steven G. Anthony ◽  
John S. Rowan
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Model Uncertainty ◽  
Hillslope Scale

scholarly journals Testing the Use of Forest Soil δ13C Shifts as a Post-Fire Index for Soil Burn Severity Estimation

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Fernandez ◽  
Cabaneiro
Keyword(s):  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Heating Process ◽  
Multilinear Regression ◽  
Solvent Fractionation ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Severity Estimation ◽  
Soil Burn Severity

Due to the increasing number and virulence of forest wildfires recently observed around the world, the establishment of a simple, accurate and reliable index that would correctly evaluate the fire effects on soil quality as a support for a suitable forest recovery management is becoming progressively more necessary. This objective is addressed here by using both δ13C isotope ratio mass spectrometry and traditional solvent fractionation methods (widely used to assess soil biogenic components or humus fractions) to quantify the temperature-induced changes in soil chemical and isotopic composition. Soil samples from the upper 5 cm layer of two Cambisols developed over granite under pine forest in the NW of Spain were heated in an oven under controlled conditions to attain moderate or intense soil burn severity levels by using two different temperatures (220 °C or 350 °C). Biochemical changes induced by the heating process appreciably differed according to the intensity of the temperature applied. Multilinear regression modelling not only showed a significant relationship between soil C isotopic signature shifts (Δsoil δ13C) with temperature increases but also revealed other key outcomes: i.e., >96 or >81% of its total variance can be predicted by changes in lignin or non-humified organic matter, respectively. Indeed, Δsoil δ13C explained by itself ≈60% of thermal variance, pointing to the aptness of using 13C shifts as a valid index for soil burn severity estimation in wildfires.

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