0000000000060048
AUTHOR
Jorge Mataix-solera
showing 29 related works from this author
Fire effects on soil aggregation: A review
2011
Abstract Fire can affect soil properties depending on a number of factors including fire severity and soil type. Aggregate stability (AS) refers to soil structure resilience in response to external mechanical forces. Many authors consider soil aggregation to be a parameter reflecting soil health, as it depends on chemical, physical and biological factors. The response of AS to forest fires is complex, since it depends on how fire has affected other related properties such as organic matter content, soil microbiology, water repellency and soil mineralogy. Opinions differ concerning the effect of fire on AS. Some authors have observed a decrease in AS in soils affected by intense wildfire or …
The wettability of ash from burned vegetation and its relationship to Mediterranean plant species type, burn severity and total organic carbon content
2011
Abstract Immediately following a wildfire, a layer of ash and charred material typically covers the ground. This layer will gradually be reduced, being redistributed by rainfall, wind or animals, by partial dissolution and by incorporation into the soil. Ash can increase or decrease the post-fire runoff and erosion response, depending upon the soil and ash properties and the ash thickness. One aspect of ash that has remained unknown and which may affect the variability in the hydrological response of the burned soil is its wettability. This study examines the wettability of ash using the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test, its relationship with total organic carbon (TOC) content and co…
Effects of agricultural management on surface soil properties and soil–water losses in eastern Spain
2009
Abstract In Spain, agriculture triggers soil degradation and erosion processes. New strategies have to be developed to reduce soil losses and recover or maintain soil functionality in order to achieve a sustainable agriculture. An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of different agricultural management on soil properties and soil erosion. Five different treatments (ploughing, herbicide, control, straw mulch and chipped pruned branches) were established in “El Teularet experimental station” located in the Sierra de Enguera (Valencia, Spain). Soil sampling was conducted prior to treatment establishment, and again after 16 months, to determine soil organic matter content (OM), aggre…
Hydrological effects of a layer of vegetation ash on underlying wettable and water repellent soil
2012
Abstract Hydrological processes after a wildfire may take place under soil conditions altered by heat and by the presence of ash. Soil and ash interact as a two-layer system with poorly understood hydrological properties, especially when ash covers water repellent soil. Here we quantify the effect of an ash layer (0, 5, 15 and 30 mm depth) covering wettable and water repellent soil on (i) the hydrological response and the mechanism of runoff generation and (ii) the water repellency dynamics, for a rainfall event followed by different drying periods and a second rainfall event. Laboratory rainfall simulation experiments (82.5 mm h − 1 during 40 min) at small plot-scale (0.09 m 2 ) were perfo…
Soil structural stability and erosion rates influenced by agricultural management practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem
2012
Unsuitable agricultural practices can cause loss in soil quality and erodibility to thus increase or trigger desertification under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was performed at the El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 5-yr period of different agricultural practices on physical and chemical indicators of soil quality (total and water-soluble carbohydrates, glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP), total organic carbon, aggregate stability (AS), vegetation cover and soil erosion). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land aban…
Short-term spatio-temporal spring grassland fire effects on soil colour, organic matter and water repellency in Lithuania
2013
Abstract. The aim of this work was to study the short-term effects (first 9 months after the fire) of a low-severity spring boreal grassland fire on soil colour, soils organic matter (SOM) and soil water repellency (SWR) in Lithuania. Three days after the fire we designed a plot of 400 m2 in a control (unburned) and unburned area with the same geomorphological characteristics. Soil water repellency analysis were assessed through the 2 mm mesh (composite sample) and in the subsamples of all of the 250 samples divided into different soil aggregate fractions of 2–1, 1–0.5, 0.5–0.25 and < 0.25 mm, using the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) method. The results showed that fire darkened the …
Organic matter and wettability characteristics of wildfire ash from Mediterranean conifer forests
2015
Abstract Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and water repellency (wettability) determination of ash samples collected following wildfires at four different Mediterranean conifer forest sites in eastern Spain were conducted to provide insights into variations in key chemical and physical characteristics of ash. TGA allowed the evaluation of organic matter (OM) and inorganic carbonate (IC) characteristics and their role in ash wettability. Thermogravimetric profiles were recorded for 40 ash samples (ten from each site). The persistence of water repellency of all ash samples was assessed by the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test. OM contents decreased, whilst OM stability indices and IC con…
Spatio-temporal Vegetation Recuperation after a Grassland Fire in Lithuania
2013
The aim of this work is to study the spatio-temporal effects of a grassland fire in Lithuania. Immediately after the fire, a experimental plot was designed in a east-faced slope. Vegetation cover and height were measured 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire (vegetation cover was only measured until 31 days after the fire because in the last measurement campaign the plot was completely covered). The results showed that vegetation recovered very fast. Ten days after the fire vegetation cover and height distribution were heterogeneous, decreasing with the time due to vegetation spread. Vegetation recovered was specially observed between 17 and 31 days after the fire due vegetation recuperatio…
Repelencia al agua en suelos forestales afectados por incendios y en suelos agrícolas bajo distintos manejos y abandono
2013
Soil water repellency determines the water available in the soil system, the runoff generation and the geomorphologic processes. This study examines the soil wettability during the summer of 2008 and 2009 in forest soils with different fire history, and in agricultural soils with different managements. Water repellency was assessed using the Water Drop Penetration Time test (WDPT). Results indicate that water repellency is more frequent and persistent in forest soils than in agricultural ones. In the former, water repellency is reduced a year after a fire and is not recovered during at least 12 years. In agricultural soils, it is found under no till treatment, whereas sites treated with her…
Water repellency as conditioned by particle size and drying in hydrophobized sand
2013
The effects of particle size and soil moisture on water repellency (WR) from hydrophobized sand are studied in this research. Quartz sand samples were separated into three sieve fractions: 0.5–2 mm (coarse sand, CS), 0.25–0.5 mm (medium sand, MS), and 0.05–0.25 mm (fine sand, FS). WR of sand was induced using different concentrations of stearic acid (SA; 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 and 30 g kg− 1). Moist samples have been exposed to two types of drying: air-drying at standard laboratory conditions and oven-drying at 50 °C. Change in moisture content, and water repellency has been monitored every 24 h for 10 days. After 1 day of drying, SA concentrations ≥ 10 g kg− 1 caused extreme WR in oven-dry samp…
Application of minidisk infiltrometer to estimate water repellency in Mediterranean pine forest soils
2017
Assessment of soil water repellency (SWR) was conducted in the decomposed organic floor layer (duff) and in the mineral soil layer of two Mediterranean pine forests, one in Italy and the other in Spain, by the widely-used water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and alternative indices derived from infiltration experiments carried out by the minidisk infiltrometer (MDI). In particular, the repellency index (RI) was calculated as the adjusted ratio between ethanol and water soil sorptivities whereas the water repellency cessation time (WRCT) and the specifically proposed modified repellency index (RIm) were derived from the hydrophobic and wettable stages of a single water infiltration experi…
Effects of fire on ash thickness in a Lithuanian grassland and short-term spatio-temporal changes
2012
Ash thickness is a key variable in the protection of soil against erosion agents after planned and unplanned fires. Thicker ash provides better protection against raindrop impact and reduces the runoff response by retaining water and promoting water infiltra5 tion although little is known about the distribution and the evolution of the ash layer after the fires. Ash thickness measurements were conducted along two transects (flat and sloping areas) following a a grid experimental design. Both transects extended from the burned area into an adjacent unburned area. We analysed ash thickness evolution according to time and fire severity. In order to interpolate data with accuracy and iden10 tif…
Extent and persistence of soil water repellency induced by pines in different geographic regions
2018
The extent (determined by the repellency indices RI and RIc) and persistence (determined by the water drop penetration time, WDPT) of soil water repellency (SWR) induced by pines were assessed in vastly different geographic regions. The actual SWR characteristics were estimated in situ in clay loam soil at Ciavolo, Italy (CiF), sandy soil at Culbin, United Kingdom (CuF), silty clay soil at Javea, Spain (JaF), and sandy soil at Sekule, Slovakia (SeF). For Culbin soil, the potential SWR characteristics were also determined after oven-drying at 60°C (CuD). For two of the three pine species considered, strong (Pinus pinaster at CiF) and severe (Pinus sylvestris at CuD and SeF) SWR conditions we…
Short-Term Vegetation Recovery after a Grassland Fire in Lithuania: The Effects of Fire Severity, Slope Position and Aspect
2016
In Lithuania, fire is frequently used by farmers as a tool to remove dry grass, improve soil nutrient status and help soil tilling. However, little is known about the ecological impacts of these fires, including vegetation recovery. The objective of this work is to study the impacts of a spring grassland fire on vegetation recuperation on an east-facing (A) and a west-facing slope (B), considering fire severity and slope position, 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire. Because of their effects on fire behaviour, aspect, steepness and heterogeneity of topography favoured higher fire severity on slope B than on slope A. Three different slope positions were identified on slope A – flat top, mi…
The interdisciplinary nature of &lt;i&gt;SOIL&lt;/i&gt;
2015
Abstract. The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists, amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. In more recent years this list has grown to include anthropologists, economists, engineers, medical professionals, military professionals, sociologists, and even artists. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity,…
Relationships between soil water repellency and microbial community composition under different plant species in a Mediterranean semiarid forest
2014
Abstract Soil water repellency (SWR) can influence many hydrological soil properties, including water infiltration, uneven moisture distribution or water retention. In the current study we investigated how variable SWR persistence in the field is related to the soil microbial community under different plant species (P. halepensis, Q. rotundifolia, C. albidus and R. officinalis) in a Mediterranean forest. The soil microbial community was determined through phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA). The relationships between microbiological community structure and the soil properties pH, Glomalin Related Soil Protein (GRSP) and soil organic matter (SOM) content were also studied. Different statistical …
FT-IR spectroscopy reveals that ash water repellency is highly dependent on ash chemical composition
2013
Abstract After a fire, an ash layer is commonly present, which influences soil properties and hillslope hydrology. The wettability of ash, which can vary from highly absorbent to water repellent, is an important characteristic in this context. Recent work has suggested that ash wettability is related to its degree of combustion, which in turn, can be expected to determine ash chemical composition. In this paper we therefore examine the relationship between ash water repellency and ash chemical composition. Ten ash samples with different wettability were each taken from four burned Mediterranean forest sites located at Albaida (A), Lliber (L), Navalon (N), and Pinoso (P), in the east of Spai…
Editorial &quot;The Interdisciplinary Nature of SOIL&quot;
2014
Abstract. The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world's biosphere that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity, biofuels/energy security, climate change, ecosystem services, food security, human health, land degradation, and water security, each representing a critical c…
Soil microbial biomass and activity under different agricultural management systems in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem
2010
Abstract A field experiment was carried out in a semiarid agricultural Mediterranean area located at the “El Teularet” experimental field in the Enguera Sierra (Valencia, southeast Spain) to assess the influence of different agricultural management systems on indicators of soil biological quality and activity (microbial biomass C, basal respiration, C mineralization coefficients, metabolic quotient (qCO2), respiratory quotient (RQ: moles CO2 evolved/moles O2 consumed), soluble C and dehydrogenase, urease, protease-BAA, phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities), one year after treatment establishment. The management practices assayed were as follows: application of the herbicides paraquat, g…
Modelling the Impacts of Wildfire on Ash Thickness in a Short‐Term Period
2013
Ash can provide valuable soil protection. However, ash is also very mobile, and soil protection patterns can be quickly changed, favouring the protection of some areas and exposing others with implications for soil erosion. In this research, the effects of a high severity wildfire on ash thickness were studied, 1 and 15 days after the fire. For this evaluation, several interpolation methods were tested to identify the best spatial predictor of ash distribution. The results showed that 1 day after the fire, ash was thinner in high severity areas. Fifteen days after the fire, ash thickness decreased, and the spatial pattern changed. This implies that evaluation of fire severity based on ash t…
Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127]
2014
Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127] Merche B. Bodi⁎, Deborah A. Martin, Victoria N. Balfour, Cristina Santin, Stefan H. Doerr, Paulo Pereira, Artemi Cerda, Jorge Mataix-Solera a ECOBE (Ecosystem Management Research Group), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium b SEDER (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group), Departamento de Geografia, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain c National Research Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO, USA d Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, USA e Depa…
Fire in Protected Areas - the Effect of Protection and Importance of Fire Management
2012
Fires are important but socially and economically unwanted disturbances of the ecosystems. They cannot be considered as a problem, they are global phenomena. Protected areas are created to protect biodiversity, and strict protection is often applied, forgetting that fire had shaped that that we aim to protect. This harsh protection is producing important changes in the protected habitats and is increasing their vulnerability to destructive wildfires. Thus, it is of major interest to incorporate fire management in the protected areas plan, including the (re)use of prescribed fire and traditional burning in order to reintroduce fire regimens, fundamental to the landscape sustainability. This …
A review of the world's soil museums and exhibitions
2021
The soil science community needs to communicate about soils and the use of soil information to various audiences, especially to the general public and public authorities. In this global review article, we synthesis information pertaining to museums solely dedicated to soils or which contain a permanent exhibition on soils. We identified 38 soil museums specifically dedicated to soils, 34 permanent soil exhibitions, and 32 collections about soils that are accessible by appointment. We evaluate the growth of the number of museums since the early 1900s, their geographical distribution, their contents, and their attendance. The number of museums has been continuously growing since the early 190…
Wildfire effects on extractable elements in ash from aPinus pinasterforest in Portugal
2013
This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, project CGL2006-11107-C02-02/BOS ‘Evaluation of the quality of Mediterranean soils affected by fire in a middle and large term’ and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). We are also thankful to Serveis Cientifico-Tecnics from the University of Barcelona. The authors would also like to acknowledge FuegoRed (Fire Effects on Soil Properties Network) for financing the projects CGL2007-28764-E/BTE CGL2008-01632-E/BTE y CGL2009-06861-E/BTE, the Lithuanian Research Council for financing the project LITFIRE, Fire effects on Lithuanian soils and ecosystems (MIP-48/2011), the HYDFIRE project (CGL2010-21670-C02-01) a…
Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania
2014
Abstract. Fire is a natural phenomenon with important implications on soil properties. The degree of this impact depends upon fire severity, the ecosystem affected, topography of the burned area and post-fire meteorological conditions. The study of fire effects on soil properties is fundamental to understand the impacts of this disturbance on ecosystems. The aim of this work was to study the short-term effects immediately after the fire (IAF), 2, 5, 7 and 9 months after a low-severity spring boreal grassland fire on soil colour value (assessed with the Munsell colour chart), soil organic matter content (SOM) and soil water repellency (SWR) in Lithuania. Four days after the fire a 400 m2 plo…
Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects
2014
Abstract: Fire transforms fuels (i.e. biomass, necromass, soil organic matter) into materials with different chemical and physical properties. One of these materials is ash, which is the particulate residue remaining or deposited on the ground that consists of mineral materials and charred organic components. The quantity and characteristics of ash produced during a wildland fire depend mainly on (1) the total burned fuel (i.e. fuel load), (2) fuel type and (3) its combustion completeness. For a given fuel load and type, a higher combustion completeness will reduce the ash organic carbon content, increasing the relative mineral content, and hence reducing total mass of ash produced. The hom…
Alternative analysis of transient infiltration experiment to estimate soil water repellency
2019
The repellency index (RI) defined as the adjusted ratio between soil‐ethanol, Se, and soil‐water, Sw, sorptivities estimated from minidisk infiltrometer experiments has been used instead of the widely used water drop penetration time and molarity of ethanol drop tests to assess soil water repellency. However, sorptivity calculated by the usual early‐time infiltration equation may be overestimated as the effects of gravity and lateral capillary are neglected. With the aim to establish the best applicative procedure to assess RI, different approaches to estimate Se and Sw were compared that make use of both the early‐time infiltration equation (namely, the 1 min, S1, and the short‐time linear…
Spatial and temporal variations of water repellency and probability of its occurrence in calcareous Mediterranean rangeland soils affected by fires
2013
Abstract Water repellency (WR) is a common soil property in many fire-affected ecosystems, but it also occurs in long-unburned terrain. It can vary in space at different scales (between point and pedon or slope and catchment) and time (during the same day, between seasons or years, or with a post-fire recovery period). This paper: i) reports on the occurrence and persistence of WR in fire-affected calcareous forest soils under Mediterranean climatic conditions, examining its spatial variability at macro-, meso- and micro-scales, and monthly changes with soil moisture content; and ii) develops exploratory models to estimate the probability of the natural background (not fire-induced) WR to o…
Spatial models for monitoring the spatio-temporal evolution of ashes after fire-a case study of a burnt grassland in Lithuania
2013
Ash thickness is a key variable in the protection of soil against erosion agents after planned and unplanned fires. Ash thickness measurements were conducted along two transects (flat and sloping areas) following a grided experimental design. In order to interpolate data with accuracy and identify the techniques with the least bias, several interpolation methods were tested in the grided plot. Overall, the fire had a low severity. However, the fire significantly reduced the ground cover, especially on sloping areas, owing to the higher fire severity and/or less biomass previous to the fire. Ash thickness depended on fire severity and was thin where fire severity was higher and thicker in lo…