Post-fire mobilization of metals in a recently burnt area in North-Central Portugal: a contamination risk for waterbodies?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Serpa ◽  
Ana Machado ◽  
Martha Santos ◽  
Isabel Campos ◽  
Fátima Jesus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Burnt Area ◽  
North Central ◽  
Contamination Risk ◽  
Freshwater Bodies ◽  
Central Portugal ◽  
Study Sites

<p>Wildfires constitute a diffuse source of contamination to aquatic ecosystems. In burnt hillslopes, ash and sediments transported by overland flow are a source of potentially hazardous substances, like metals, posing a risk for downstream water bodies. In the present study, post-fire metal mobilization by overland flow was evaluated in 16 m<sup>2 </sup>bounded plots at a eucalypt stand in Albergaria-a-Velha (Aveiro district, North-Central Portugal) that burnt with moderate severity in September 2019. Overland flow samples were collected on a weekly to bi-weekly basis, depending on the occurrence of rain, during the first 6 months after fire. Aside from overland flow samples collected at slope scale, water and sediment samples were also collected in a fire-affected stream within the Albergaria burned catchment, to assess the contamination risk posed by the fire. Samples were collected at three sites along the stream: one upstream, one within and another downstream from the burnt area, after major rainfall events. The metals analysed in this study included, vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Results showed that most metals exhibited a peak in exports immediately after the first significant post-fire rainfall event likely due to the wash-off of the ash layer and high sediment losses, but for some elements like Zn and Cu, exports were more or less constant over time. The fire seems to have had a low impact on the water quality of the affected stream, since metal concentrations were similar between the three study sites. The quality of stream sediments, on the other hand, was clearly affected by the fire, especially after the rainy season. As fire severity and frequency is forecasted to increase in the near future due to climate changes, the results of this work reinforce the importance of water managers to define adaptative strategies to effectively protect freshwater bodies.</p>

Post-fire mobilization of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a recently burnt eucalypt stand in North-Central Portugal

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalila Serpa ◽  
Ana I. Machado ◽  
Martha Santos ◽  
Isabel Campos ◽  
Bruna R. F. Oliveira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Environmental Protection Agency ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
The United States ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
North Central ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
Central Portugal

<p>Wildfires constitute a diffuse source of contamination to aquatic ecosystems. In burnt areas, the increase in surface runoff and associated sediment losses after fire, promotes the mobilization of hazardous substances, such as metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), posing a risk for the adjacent water bodies. In the present study, post-fire metals and PAHs export by surface runoff was evaluated in 16 m<sup>2 </sup>bounded plots in a eucalypt stand in Albergaria-a-Velha (Aveiro district, North-Central Portugal) burnt in September 2019. Runoff samples were collected on a weekly to bi-weekly basis, depending on the occurrence of rainfall, during the first 6 months after fire. The metals analyzed in this study were, vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). As for PAHs, the analyses focused on the 16 compounds classified as priority pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Both dissolved and particulate fractions of metals and PAHs in runoff waters were analysed in this work. Preliminary results suggest that metals are more likely to affect the water quality of fire-affected water bodies than PAHs, since low levels of PAHs were found in runoff waters. This work provides valuable information for water managers to minimize the risks of wildfires both to the environment and to public health.</p>

Short-term nitrogen losses by overland flow in a recently burnt forest area in north-central Portugal: A study at micro-plot scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 572 ◽  
pp. 1281-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.V. Ferreira ◽  
D. Serpa ◽  
A.I. Machado ◽  
M.L. Rodríguez-Blanco ◽  
L.F. Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Nitrogen Losses ◽  
Short Term ◽  
North Central ◽  
Central Portugal

Effects of fire occurrence and recurrence on nitrogen and phosphorus losses by overland flow in maritime pine plantations in north-central Portugal

Geoderma ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 289 ◽  
pp. 97-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Hosseini ◽  
Violette Geissen ◽  
Oscar González-Pelayo ◽  
Dalila Serpa ◽  
Ana Isabel Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Maritime Pine ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Fire Occurrence ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
North Central ◽  
Central Portugal ◽  
Phosphorus Losses

scholarly journals Sandalwood (Santalum album) growth and farming success strengthen its natural conservation in the Timor Island, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 1586-1592
Author(s):  
YOSEPH NAHAK SERAN ◽  
SUDARTO . ◽  
LUCHMAN HAKIM ◽  
ENDANG ARISOESILANINGSIH
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Statistics ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Santalum Album ◽  
Vegetation Analysis ◽  
North Central ◽  
South Central ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Growth Quality ◽  
Santalum Album L

Seran YN, Sudarto, Hakim L, Arisoesilaningsih E. 2018. Sandalwood (Santalum album) growth and farming successstrengthen its natural conservation in the Timor Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 19: 1586-1592. Sandalwood (Santalum album L.) is aunique plant of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province of Indonesia and locally known as the unity symbol woody fragrance (haumeni). The study aimed to compare growth quality of trees grown in plantations and forests in the districts of North Central Timor(TTU) and South Central Timor (TTS). Vegetation analysis was held by purposive sampling in eight sites comprising 87 plots. Plotssizes were 20x20 m2 for trees, 10x10 m2 for poles, and 5x5 m2 for saplings. Variables observed in each plot included density, trunkdiameter, height, crown quality, and vitality. Data were analyzed by descriptive and multivariate statistics. The results showed that thegrowth of sandalwoods varied spatially in all study sites and was classified into five groups. Two plantations in TTS District showedbetter trees growth quality compared to those in TTU. Higher saplings and poles density were found in two sites, a plantation and aforest in TTU plantation, and in a forest in TTS. However higher vitality were found in two plantations, each one in TTS and TTU.Inferior growth was observed in Nununamat plantation. Farmers had a significant role in strengthening sandalwood conservation in twodistricts as shown by their successful farming and trees growth quality that was similar to those in the forests.

Cation export by overland flow in a recently burnt forest area in north-central Portugal

2015 ◽  
Vol 524-525 ◽  
pp. 201-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.I. Machado ◽  
D. Serpa ◽  
R.V. Ferreira ◽  
M.L. Rodríguez-Blanco ◽  
R. Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
North Central ◽  
Central Portugal

scholarly journals Kajian Vegetasi Kawasan Pasca Tambang Marmer di Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara

SAINTEKBU ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 10-16
Author(s):  
Emilia Juliyanti Bria ◽  
Remigius Binsasi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Tectona Grandis ◽  
North Central ◽  
Schleichera Oleosa ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Tectona Grandis L.F

Marble is one of the industrial materials of high economic value and very beneficial to people's lives. Therefore, many explorations are done by mining companies. Exploitation of natural resources on a large scale without regard to the carrying capacity of the environment, can lead to drastic decline in the quality of the ecosystem. This is what happened in the post-mine forest area of ​​Oenbit Village, North Central Timor District. This study aims to identify and calculate the abundance of plants and environmental factors that affect the plants in the post-marble area of ​​Oenbit village. The method used is quadratic / plot method. The results showed that plant species with significant values ​​above 80.00% were Anacardium occidentale L. (125.69%), Tamarindus indica L. (122.17%), Tectona grandis L.f (87.32%), and Schleichera oleosa (Lour .) Oken (82.67%). Abiotic environmental factors measured at the study sites are soil pH, soil moisture, air temperature, air humidity and light intensity. The results of these measurements showed no significant difference.

scholarly journals Runoff and inter-rill erosion in a Maritime Pine and a Eucalypt plantation following wildfire and terracing in north-central Portugal

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martinho A.S. Martins ◽  
Ana I. Machado ◽  
Dalila Serpa ◽  
Sergio A. Prats ◽  
Sílvia R. Faria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Overland Flow ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Maritime Pine ◽  
Rill Erosion ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Study Region ◽  
North Central ◽  
Slope Engineering ◽  
Central Portugal

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess how terracing affected overland flow and associated sediment losses, at the micro-plot scale (0.25 m2), in recently burnt stands of the two principal forest types in north-central Portugal, i.e. mono-specific stands of Maritime Pine and Eucalypt. Terracing is an increasingly common practice of slope engineering in the study region but its impacts on runoff and erosion are poorly studied. Non-terraced plots at the Eucalypt and the Pine site revealed similar median runoff coefficients (rc: 20-30%) as well as comparable median sediment losses (15-25 g m-2) during the first seven months following wildfire. During the ensuing, slightly wetter 18-month period, however, non-terraced plots at the Pine site lost noticeably more sediments (in median, 90 vs. 18 g m-2), in spite the runoff response had remained basically the same (median rc: 33 vs. 28%). By contrast, terraced plots at the same Pine site lost hugely more sediments (in median, 1,200 g m-2) during this 18-month period. Terraced plots at the Eucalypt site even lost three times more sediments (in median, 3,600 g m-2). Ground cover and resistance to shear stress seemed to be key factors in the observed/inferred impacts of terracing.

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