Soil carbon pools in forested areas affected by fires after the application of restoration measures

Wildfires can promote changes in soil organic carbon pools (SOCp) mainly as consequence of the input of ashes and charred materials from the scorched vegetation; and/or the removal of litter layer and organic matter from the upper soil centimetres affected by high temperatures. Moreover, post-fire management practices can also cause changes in the different forms of organic carbon in the soil (from the most labile to the most recalcitrant).

In the REMAS project, a methodology to study the different SOCp is proposed to assess the effects of the application of different management post-fire practices over the burned areas: (1) cut and remove burned trunks, (2) shrub clearing letting the masticated debris on the soil carried out 6-8 years after the fires and, (3) no intervention treatment. The SOCp analysed include hot-water extractable C, particulate organic C, associated to the mineral fraction and total organic C. The study areas include diverse forest ecosystems from France (Pinus pinaster Ait.), Portugal (Quercus suber L.) and Spain (Pinus halepensis Mill.and Pinus sylvestris L.). Results show variable effects of the management practices on the different organic C pools, mainly over the most labile ones.

Acknowledgements: The REMAS project SOE3/P4/E0954 is co-financed by the Interreg Sudoe Program through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).