scholarly journals Long-term effects of fire and three firefighting chemicals on a soil - plant system

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 856 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Couto-Vázquez ◽  
S. García-Marco ◽  
S. J. González-Prieto

The effects of fire and firefighting chemicals on soil properties and the soil–plant system were evaluated 5 years after treatment application. Unburnt soils were compared with burnt soils treated with water alone (BS) or with foaming agent (BS+Fo), Firesorb polymer (BS+Fi), or ammonium polyphosphate (BS+Ap). Soils (0–2 cm depth) and foliar material (Ulex micranthus, Pterospartum tridentatum, Erica umbellata and Pinus pinaster) were analysed for total C, total N, δ15N, nutrients (soil-available; plant total), pH and inorganic-N (soils) and vegetation cover and height. No long-term effects of firefighting chemicals on soil properties were found except for pH (BS+Fo > BS+Ap), inorganic-N and P (BS+Ap > other treatments). BS+Ap plants usually showed higher values of δ15N, N, P and Na, but less K. Soil coverage by Pterospartum and Ulex was higher in BS+Ap than in other treatments, whereas the opposite was observed for Erica; shrubs were always taller in BS+Ap. After 3 years of growth, the size of pine seedlings followed the order BS+Ap > unburnt soil > other treatments. Foliar N and P, scrub regeneration and growth of pines showed the long-term fertilising effect of ammonium polyphosphate, although the second highest pine mortality was found in the BS+Ap treatment. The foaming agent did not affect vegetation cover, and Firesorb had no noticeable effect on shrubs but the highest pine mortality.

2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. REGO ◽  
V. NAGESWARA RAO

In southern and central India, farmers crop Vertisols only in the post-rainy season, to avoid land management problems in the rainy season. In 1983 ICRISAT established a long-term trial seeking to intensify cropping. The trial included intercrops, sequential crops and appropriate Vertisol management technology to allow consecutive rainy-season and post-rainy season crops to be grown. Benefits provided by legumes to succeeding rainy-season sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) were analysed in relation to a non-legume system of sorghum + safflower (Carthamus tinctorius). Rainy-season sorghum grain yield production was sustained at about 2.7 t ha−1 over 12 years within a continuous sorghum–pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) intercrop system. With a cowpea–pigeonpea intercrop system, succeeding sorghum benefitted each year by about 40 kg N ha−1 (fertilizer nitrogen (N) equivalent). Without N fertilizer application the sorghum grain yield was around 3.3 t ha−1. Legume benefits were less marked in the chickpea (Cicer arietinum)-based rotation than in the pigeonpea system, in which a 12-year build up of soil total N (about 125 μg g−1) was observed. Although sorghum benefitted from this system, pigeonpea yields declined over time due to soil-borne fungi and nematodes. Wider rotations of crops with pigeonpea may help to overcome these problems, while sustaining sorghum production.


2008 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 677-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Baumhardt ◽  
O. R. Jones ◽  
R. C. Schwartz

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona J. Heim ◽  
Anna Bucharova ◽  
Leya Brodt ◽  
Johannes Kamp ◽  
Daniel Rieker ◽  
...  

AbstractWildfires are relatively rare in subarctic tundra ecosystems, but they can strongly change ecosystem properties. Short-term fire effects on subarctic tundra vegetation are well documented, but long-term vegetation recovery has been studied less. The frequency of tundra fires will increase with climate warming. Understanding the long-term effects of fire is necessary to predict future ecosystem changes.We used a space-for-time approach to assess vegetation recovery after fire over more than four decades. We studied soil and vegetation patterns on three large fire scars (>44, 28 and 12 years old) in dry, lichen-dominated forest tundra in Western Siberia. On 60 plots, we determined soil temperature and permafrost thaw depth, sampled vegetation and measured plant functional traits. We assessed trends in NDVI to support the field-based results on vegetation recovery.Soil temperature, permafrost thaw depth and total vegetation cover had recovered to pre-fire levels after >44 years, as well as total vegetation cover. In contrast, after >44 years, functional groups had not recovered to the pre-fire state. Burnt areas had lower lichen and higher bryophyte and shrub cover. The dominating shrub species, Betula nana, exhibited a higher vitality (higher specific leaf area and plant height) on burnt compared with control plots, suggesting a fire legacy effect in shrub growth. Our results confirm patterns of shrub encroachment after fire that were detected before in other parts of the Arctic and Subarctic. In the so far poorly studied Western Siberian forest tundra we demonstrate for the first time, long-term fire-legacies on the functional composition of relatively dry shrub- and lichen-dominated vegetation.


Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Peter Rwibasira ◽  
Francois Xavier Naramabuye ◽  
Donat Nsabimana ◽  
Monique Carnol

Understanding the long-term effects of tree species on soil properties is crucial for the development of forest restoration policies in relation to the choice of species that meet both environmental and local livelihood needs. This study was performed in the Arboretum of Ruhande, Southern Rwanda, where monocultures of 148 deciduous and 56 conifer species have been established in 0.25 ha replicated plots from 1933 onwards. We investigated the effects of six exotic and two native tree species planted in monoculture plots and native species mixed within one self-regenerated plot on soil properties in two layers (0–5 cm and 5–10 cm depth). We measured general soil properties (pH, SOM, exchangeable base cations) and water-soluble C and N as a proxy for soil functioning. Changes in soil properties were observed in the upper soil layer for all tree species. Planting Eucalyptus species caused soil acidification, whereas soil exchangeable cations and pH were higher under native species (Entandrophragma excelsum and Polyschias fulva) and mixed native species. The effects of tree species were more pronounced for hot water-extractable C and N than for other soil properties. Their analyses could be used for detecting changes in soil functioning linked to vegetation types.


Author(s):  
Erika dos Santos Souza ◽  
Albertina P. Lima ◽  
William E. Magnusson ◽  
RICARDO ALEXANDRE KAWASHITA-RIBEIRO ◽  
Rodrigo Ferreira Fadini ◽  
...  

Ecological succession in tropical savannas is limited by seasonal fire, which affects habitat quality. Although fire may cause negligible or positive effects on animals occupying savannas, most short-term studies (months to a few years) are based on a single temporal sampling snapshot, and long-term studies (decades) are rare. We sampled four lizard species in Amazonian savannas to test the effects of fire and vegetation cover on lizard densities at two temporal scales. In the short-term, we use three sampling snapshots to test the effects of fire and vegetation cover on estimated lizard densities over the subsequent 1–5 years. In the long-term, we test the effects of fire and changes in vegetation cover over 21 years on current lizard density differences. In the short-term, species responses were usually consistent with foraging and thermoregulation modes. However, the results were not consistent among species and years, although the variances in species density explained by year as a random factor were generally low. In the long-term, the main effects of fire and vegetation cover show that lizard densities may change spatially, but not necessarily temporarily. Wildfire is a natural resource of savannas and apparently have little impact on resident lizards of that ecosystem.


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