Editorial: The role of ash in fire-affected ecosystems

Short-term spatio-temporal spring grassland fire effects on soil colour, organic matter and water repellency in Lithuania

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 …

Effects of fire on ash thickness in a Lithuanian grassland and short-term spatio-temporal changes

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…

Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127]

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…

Short-term low-severity spring grassland fire impacts on soil extractable elements and soil ratios in Lithuania

Abstract Spring grassland fires are common in boreal areas as a consequence of slash and burn agriculture used to remove dry grass to increase soil nutrient properties and crop production. However, few works have investigated fire impacts on these grassland ecosystems, especially in the immediate period after the fire. The objective of this work was to study the short-term impacts of a spring grassland fire in Lithuania. Four days after the fire we established a 400 m2 sampling grid within the burned area and in an adjacent unburned area with the same topographical, hydrological and pedological characteristics. We collected topsoil samples immediately after the fire (0 months), 2, 5, 7 and …

Wildfire effects on extractable elements in ash from aPinus pinasterforest in Portugal

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…

Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects

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…