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Do Wildfires Cause Changes in Soil Quality in the Short Term?

Valeria Memoli¹, Speranza Claudia Panico¹, Lucia Santorufo¹

¹Dipartimento di Biologia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Napoli, Italy.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

|July 30, 2020

Summary

Wildfire impacts on Mediterranean volcanic soil were studied. Despite changes in soil properties after fire, overall soil quality remained similar in the short term.

Keywords:

Vesuvius National Park microbial activity organic matter content potential toxic trace elements sequential extraction soil quality index

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Area of Science:

Soil Science
Ecology
Environmental Science

Background:

Mediterranean ecosystems experience frequent and intense wildfires.
Wildfires significantly alter soil's abiotic and biotic properties, including pH, water content, organic matter, elemental composition, microbial biomass, and activity.

Purpose of the Study:

To assess the short-term effects of an intense wildfire on soil quality in Vesuvius National Park.
To evaluate fire's impact using individual soil abiotic and biotic indicators and an integrated Soil Quality Index (SQI).

Main Methods:

Soil samples were collected from 12 sites within Vesuvius National Park before fire (BF) and after fire (AF).
Abiotic indicators (pH, water, organic matter, elements) and biotic indicators (microbial biomass, respiration, dehydrogenase activity, hydrolase activity) were analyzed.
An integrated Soil Quality Index (SQI) was calculated to provide an overall assessment.

Main Results:

After fire (AF), soil showed decreased water and total carbon content, reduced element availability, and lower respiration and dehydrogenase activity compared to before fire (BF).
Conversely, soil pH and hydrolase activity were significantly higher in AF soil.
Microbial biomass and activity were influenced by Aluminum (Al), Chromium (Cr), and Copper (Cu) availability in both BF and AF soils.

Conclusions:

Despite significant short-term variations in individual soil properties, the overall soil quality (SQI) did not significantly differ between burnt and unburnt areas.
The study contributes baseline data for burnt volcanic soils and highlights the limited short-term impact of fire on overall soil quality in this Mediterranean environment.