Effects of Fire on Properties of Forest Soils a Review

Abstract

Soils are a fundamental component of terrestrial ecosystems, and play central roles in biogeochemical cycles and the environmental of microbial, plant and animate being communities. Global increases in the intensity and frequency of ecological disturbances are driving major changes in the construction and function of wood ecosystems, yet little is known about the long-term impacts of disturbance on soils. Hither nosotros testify that natural disturbance (fire) and human disturbances (clearcut logging and post-fire salvage logging) tin can significantly change the limerick of forest soils for far longer than previously recognized. Using extensive sampling beyond a multi-century chronosequence in some of the tallest and near carbon-dumbo forests worldwide (southern Australian, mountain ash (Eucalyptus regnans) forests), we provide compelling evidence that disturbance impacts on soils are axiomatic up to least eight decades after disturbance, and potentially much longer. Relative to long-undisturbed woods (167 years old), sites subject area to multiple fires, clearcut logging or save logging were characterized by soils with significantly lower values of a range of ecologically important measures at multiple depths, including available phosphorus and nitrate. Disturbance impacts on soils were most pronounced on sites subject to compounding perturbations, such equally multiple fires and clearcut logging. Long-lasting impacts of disturbance on soil tin can have major ecological and functional implications.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available in the Supplementary Data and from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors give thanks the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and Parks Victoria for granting access to restricted sites, volunteers who assisted in data drove, A. Bissett for methodological advice, W. Blanchard for statistical advice, and the following groups for funding: the Paddy Pallin Foundation, Centre of Biodiversity Analysis, the Ecological Social club of Commonwealth of australia and the Holsworth Wild animals Enquiry Endowment fund.

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Affiliations

1. Fenner Schoolhouse of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Commonwealth of australia

   Elle J. Bowd, Craig L. Stiff & David B. Lindenmayer

2. Enquiry Plant for Environment and Livelihoods, College of Applied science, IT and the Environment, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Commonwealth of australia

   Sam C. Banks

Contributions

E.J.B. conducted information collection and statistical analyses, and led the writing of the manuscript and experimental design of this study. D.B.L. contributed to the experimental design of this study and manuscript editing. Southward.C.B. contributed to statistical assay, experimental pattern and manuscript editing. C.L.S. contributed to manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elle J. Bowd.

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Bowd, Due east.J., Banks, S.C., Strong, C.Fifty. et al. Long-term impacts of wildfire and logging on woods soils. Nature Geosci 12, 113–118 (2019). https://doi.org/ten.1038/s41561-018-0294-2

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• Received: 14 June 2018

• Accepted: 17 December 2018

• Published: 21 January 2019

• Issue Appointment: February 2019

• DOI : https://doi.org/ten.1038/s41561-018-0294-ii

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