Effects of prescribed fire for pasture management on soil organic matter and biological properties: A 1-year study case in the Central Pyrenees

Girona García, Antonio (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Badía Villas, David (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martí Dalmau, Clara (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Ortiz Perpiñá, Oriol (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Mora, Juan Luis (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Armas Herrera, Cecilia (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Prescribed burning has been readopted in the last decade in the Central Pyrenees to stop the regression of subalpine grasslands in favour of shrublands, dominated among others by Echinospartum horridum (Vahl) Rothm. Nevertheless, the effect of this practice on soil properties is uncertain. The aim of this work was to analyse the effects of these burnings on topsoil organic matter and biological properties. Soil sampling was carried out in an autumnal prescribed fire in Buisán (NE-Spain, November 2015). Topsoil was sampled at 0–1 cm, 1–2 cm and 2–3 cm depth in triplicate just before (U), ~ 1 h (B0), 6 months (B6) and 12 months (B12) after burning. We analysed soil total organic C (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass C (Cmic), soil respiration (SR) and ß-D-glucosidase activity. A maximum temperature of 438 °C was recorded at soil surface while at 1 cm depth only 31 °C were reached. Burning significantly decreased TOC (- 52%), TN (- 44%), Cmic (- 57%), SR (- 72%) and ß-D-glucosidase (- 66%) at 0–1 cm depth while SR was also reduced (- 45%) at 1–2 cm depth. In B6 and B12, no significant changes in these properties were observed as compared to B0. It can be concluded that the impact of prescribed burning has been significant and sustained over time, although limited to the first two topsoil centimetres.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.127

Año: 2018

Publicado en: SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 618 (2018), 1079-1087
ISSN: 0048-9697

Factor impacto JCR: 5.589 (2018)

Categ. JCR: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES rank: 27 / 250 = 0.108 (2018) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.536 - Environmental Chemistry (Q1) - Waste Management and Disposal (Q1) - Pollution (Q1) - Environmental Engineering (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E56
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2013-43440-R

Tipo y forma: Article (PostPrint)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Vegetal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)
Área (Departamento): Área Edafología y Quím.Agríco. (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)