Abstract
Considering that diverse fire severities can affect soil properties differently, the aim of this study was to examine to what extent changes in soil properties caused by fire could condition seedling establishment. This new approach is for identifying a new fire cause-effect chain to qualify the impacts of fire on soils with the purpose of using fire as a tool in forest management to favour Pinus halepensis Mill. regeneration. The study area was a reforested P. halepensis area which had been crossed by fire for 78.8 ha, causing various degrees of damage. The forest was subdivided into three large areas according to the gravity of crown scorch, [low (LS), medium (MS) and high (HS) severity], on the basis of needle yellowing which usually occurs after exposure to direct flames. Results showed significant differences in soil properties with respect to fire severity. In the HS area, total nitrogen and carbon were considerably reduced while ash and phosphorus contents significantly increased. The changes in soil properties, in particular to nutrient levels, affected P. halepensis regeneration, mainly the first year after the fire. Greater regeneration occurred in areas affected by moderate fire severity in which the temperatures reached increased the mineralization of soil organic matter with the consequent release of nutrients available for seedling growth. Additionally, moderate fire severity suppressed the regeneration of grasses, reducing the interspecific competition. Heights of seedlings were inversely proportional to the density of grasses. Where the number was abundant (LS), the height was modest; conversely, where the number was low (HS), the greater hypsometric differentiation of pine seedlings was observed. These results suggest that moderate fire severity represents an environmental stress (hormesis) altering microscale conditions to increase pine germination and establishment. The exposure of P. halpensis to a moderate environmental factor that is damaging at higher intensities, induces an adaptive beneficial effect on seedling regeneration. This data can re-evaluate the assertion that coniferous burned areas, if left unmanaged, would remain unproductive for an indefinite period.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ando K, Shinjo H, Noro Y, Takenaka S, Miura R, Sokotela SB, Funakawa S (2014) Short-term effects of fire intensity on soil organic matter and nutrient release after slash-and-burn in Eastern Province, Zambia. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 60(2):173–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2014.883487
Arocena JM, Opio C (2003) Prescribed fire-induced changes in properties of sub-boreal forest soils. Geoderma 113:1–16
Attiwill PM (1994) The disturbance of forest ecosystems: the ecological basis for conservative management. For Ecol Manag 63:247–300
Badía D, Martí C (2003) Plant ash and heat intensity effects on chemical and physical properties of two contrasting soils. Arid Land Res Manag 17:23–41
Baldock D, Beaufoy G, Brouwer F, Godeschalk F (1996) Farming at the margins. Abandonment or redeployment of agricultural land in Europe. IEEP, London
Brazhnik K, Hanley C, Shugart HH (2017) Simulating changes in fires and ecology of the 21st century eurasian boreal forests of Siberia. Forests 8(2):49. https://doi.org/10.3390/f8020049
Busse MD, Hubbert KR, Fiddler GO, Shestak CJ, Powers RF (2005) Lethal soil temperatures during burning of masticated forest residues. Int J Wildl Fire 14:267–276
Calabrese EJ, Blain RB (2011) The hormesis database: the occurrence of hormetic dose responses in the toxicological literature. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 61:73–81
Calabrese EJ, Mattson MP (2017) How does hormesis impact biology, toxicology, and medicine? Aging Mech Dis 3:13
Calabrese EJ, Bachmann KA, Bailer AJ, Bolger PM, Borak J, Cai L, Cedergreen N, Cherian MG, Chiueh CC, Clarkson TW, Cook RR, Diamond DM, Doolittle DJ, Dorato MA, Duke SO, Feinendegen L, Gardner DE, Hart RW, Hastings KL, Hayes AW, Hoffmann GR, Ives JA, Jaworowski Z, Johnson TE, Jonas WB, Kaminski NE, Keller JG, Klaunig JE, Knudsen TB, Kozumbo WJ, Lettieri T, Liu SZ, Maisseu A, Maynard KI, Masoro EJ, McClellan RO, Mehendale HM, Mothersill C, Newlin DB, Nigg HN, Oehme FW, Phalen RF, Philbert MA, Rattan SI, Riviere JE, Rodricks J, Sapolsky RM, Scott BR, Seymour C, Sinclair DA, Smith-Sonneborn J, Snow ET, Spear L, Stevenson DE, Thomas Y, Tubiana M, Williams GM, Mattson MP (2007) Biological stress response terminology: integrating the concepts of adaptive response and preconditioning stress within a hormetic dose-response framework. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 222:122–128
Campbell GS, Jungbauer JD Jr, Bidlake WR, Hungerford RD (1994) Predicting the effect of temperature on soil thermal conductivity. Soil Sci 158:307–313
Certini G (2005) Effects of fire on properties of forest soils: review. Oecologia 143:1–10
Coello J, Cortina J, Valdecantos A, Varela E (2015) Forest landscape restoration experiences in southern Europe: sustainable techniques for enhancing early tree performance. Unasylva 66:82–90
De la Mano Fernández D (2007) Forests: signs of life in castile and leon. Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Regional Environment Department), Junta de Castilla y León (Castile and León Regional Government). https://www.jcyl.es/
De la Rosa JM, Faria SR, Varela ME et al (2012) Characterization of wildfire effects on soil organic matter using analytical pyrolysis. Geoderma 191:24–30
De Martonne E (1926) Aréisme et indice artidite. Comptes Rendus de L’Acad Sci. Paris 182:1395–1398
DeBano LF (2000) The role of fire and soil heating on water repellence in wildland environments: a review. J Hydrol 231:195–206
DeBano LF, Dunn PH, Conrad CE (1977) Fire’s effects on physical and chemical properties of chapparal soils. In: Proceedings of the “symposium on environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in Mediterranean ecosystems”. Palo Alto, CA, pp 65–74
DeBano LF, Neary D, Folliott PF (1998) Fire’s effects on ecosystems. Wiley, New York, p 352
DeBano LF, Neary DG, Folliott PF (2005) Soil physical properties. In: Neary DG, Ryan KC, DeBano LF (eds) Wildland fire in ecosystems: effects of fire on soil and water. General technical report RMRS-GTR-42, vol 4. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, pp 29–52
Durgin PB, Vogelsang PJ (1984) Dispersion of kaolinite by water extracts of Douglas-fir ash. Can J Soil Sci 64:439–443
FAO (2007) UN food and agricultural organization. Methods of analysis for soils of arid and semi-arid regions, Rome, p 57
FAO (2016) [UN Food and Agricultural Organization]. Global forest resources assessment 2015. How are the world’s forests changing? 2nd edn. FAO, Rome, p 54
Fernandez Ales R (1991) Effect of economic development on landscape structure and function in the Province of Seille (SW Spain) and its consequences on conservation. In: Land abandonment and its role in conservation: proceedings of the Zaragoza–Spain seminar. Options Méditerranéennes—seminar series A—no. 15. CIHEAM 10–12 December 1989, Zaragoza, pp 61–69
Franklin JF, Agee JA (2003) Forging a science-based national forest fire policy. Issues Sci Technol 20:59–66
Franklin SB, Robertson PA, Fralish JS (1997) Small-scale fire temperature patterns in upland Quercus communities. J Appl Ecol 34:613–630
Giovannini G, Lucchesi S, Giachetti M (1988) Effect of heating on some physical and chemical parameters related to soil aggregation and erodibility. Soil Sci 146:255–261
Gonzalez B (1991) Ecological consequences of the abandonment of traditional land use systems in central Spain. In: Land abandonment and its role in conservation: Proceedings of the Zaragoza–Spain seminar. Options Méditerranéennes—seminar series A—no. 15. CIHEAM 10–12 December 1989, Zaragoza, pp 23–29
Gorbett GE, Meacham BJ, Wood CB, Dembsey NA (2015) Use of damage in fire investigation: a review of fire patterns analysis, research and future direction. Fire Sci Rev 4:4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40038-015-0008-4
Hammer Ø, Harper DAT, Ryan PD (2001) PAST: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontol Electron 4:9
Hernández-Serrano A, Verdù M, González-Martínez SC, Pausas JG (2013) Fire structures pine serotiny at different scales. Am J Bot 100:2349–2356
Hernández-Serrano A, Verdù M, Santos-del-Blanco L, Climent J, González-Martínez SC, Pausas JG (2014) Heritability and quantitative genetic divergence of serotiny, a fire persistence plant trait. Ann Bot 114:571–577
Hille M, den Ouden J (2004) Improved recruitment and early growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings after fire and soil scarification. Eur J For Res 123:213–218
Höchtl F, Lehringer S, Konold W (2004) “Wilderness”: what it means when it becomes a reality—a case study from the southwestern Alps. Landsc Urban Plan 70:85–95
Hubert B (1991) Changing land uses in Province (France): multiple use as a management tool. In: Land abandonment and its role in conservation: proceedings of the Zaragoza–Spain seminar. Options Méditerranéennes—seminar series A—no. 15. CIHEAM 10–12 December 1989, Zaragoza, pp 31–52
Isemeyer H (1952) Eine einfache methode zur bestimmung der bodenatmung und der karbonate im bodem. In: Alef K, Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in applied soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic Press, New York, p 215
Jiménez-Ruano A, Rodrigues M, de la Riva J (2017) Understanding wildfires in mainland Spain. A comprehensive analysis of fire regime features in a climate-human context. Appl Geogr 89:100–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.10.007
Johnson DW, Curtis PS (2001) Effects of forest management on soil C and N storage: meta-analysis. For Ecol Manag 140:227–238
Johnstone JF, Chapin FS (2006) Effects of soil burn severity on post-fire tree recruitment in boreal forest. Ecosystems 9:14–31
JRC (2018) [Joint Research Centre] Forest fires in Europe, middle east and North Africa 2017. Technical report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. https://doi.org/10.2760/663443. ISBN 978-92-79-92831-4
Kavdir Y, Ekinci H, Yüksel O, Mermut AR (2005) Soil aggregate stability and 13C CP/MAS-NMR assessment of organic matter in soils influenced by forest wildfires in Çanakkale, Turkey. Geoderma 129:219–229
Keeley JE, Juli G, Pausas JG, Rundel PW, Bond WJ, Bradstock RA (2011) Fire as an evolutionary pressure shaping plant traits. Trends Plant Sci 16:406–411
Kim SA, Lee YM, Choi JY, Jacobs DR, Lee DH (2018) Evolutionarily adapted hormesis-inducing stressors can be a practical solution to mitigate harmful effects of chronic exposure to low dose chemical mixtures. Environ Pollut 233:725–734
Liechty HO, Luckow KR, Guldin JM (2005) Soil chemistry and nutrient regime following 17–21 years of shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. For Ecol Manag 204:345–357
Llorente M, Turrion MB (2010) Microbiological parameters as indicators of soil organic carbon dynamics in relation to different land use management. Eur J For Res 129(1):73–81
Maestre FT, Cortina J (2004) Are Pinus halepensis plantations useful as a restoration tool in semiarid Mediterranean areas? For Ecol Manag 198:303–317
Martin DA, Moody JA (2001) Comparison of soil infiltration rates in burned and unburned mountainous watersheds. Hydrol Process 15:2893–2903
Marzano R, Lingua E, Garbarino M (2012) Post-fire effects and short term regeneration dynamics following high severity crown fires in a Mediterranean forest. iForest 5:1. https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor0612-005
Marziliano PA, Lafortezza R, Medicamento U, Lorusso L, Giannico V, Colangelo C, Sanesi C (2015) Estimating belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio of Phillyrea latifolia L. in the Mediterranean forest landscapes. Ann For Sci 72(5):585–593. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-015-0486-5
Marziliano PA, Coletta V, Scuderi A, Scalise C, Menguzzato G, Lombardi F (2017) Forest structure of a maple old-growth stand: a case study on the Apennines mountains (Southern Italy). J Mt Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-4336-1
Mataix-Solera J, Cerdà A (2009) Incendios forestales en España. Ecosistemas terrestres y suelos In: Cerdà A, Mataix-Solera J (eds), Efectos de los Incendios Forestales Sobre los Suelos en España. Cátedra Divulgación de la Ciencia, Universitat de València, pp 27–53
Miesel JR, Hockaday WC, Kolka R, Townsend PA (2015) Soil organic matter composition and quality across fire severity gradients in coniferous and deciduous forests of the southern boreal region. J Geophys Res Biogeosci 120(6):1124–1141
Molla I, Velizarova E, Malcheva B, Bogoev V, Hadzhieva Y (2014) Forest fire impact on the soil carbon content and stock on the north slopes of Rila Mountain (Bulgaria). Ecol Balk 5:81–88
Moreno JM (2014) Forest fires under climate, social and economic changes in Europe, the Mediterranean and other fire-affected areas of the world. FUME and EU Seventh Framework Programme. Available via FUME website. http://fumeproject.uclm.es/
Muráňová K, Šimanský V (2015) The effect of different severity of fire on soil organic matter and aggregates stability. Acta Fytotechn Zootechn 18:1–5
Murphy J, Riley JP (1962) A modified single solution method for the determination of phosphorus in natural waters. Anal Chem Acta 27:31–36
Neary DG, Klopatek CC, DeBano LF, Folliott PF (1999) Fire effects on belowground sustainability: a review and synthesis. For Ecol Manag 122:51–71
Neff JC, Harden JW, Gleixner G (2005) Fire effects on soil organic matter content, composition, and nutrients in boreal interior Alaska. Can J For Res 35:2178–2187. https://doi.org/10.1139/x05-154
Osuna D, Prieto P, Aguilar M (2015) Control of seed germination and plant development by carbon and nitrogen availability. Front Plant Sci 6:1023. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.01023
Pausas JG, Ouadah N, Ferran A et al (2003) Fire severity and seedling establishment in Pinus halepensis woodlands, eastern Iberian Peninsula. Plant Ecol 169:205–213
Quezel P (2000) Taxonomy and biogeography of Mediterranean pines (Pinus halepensis and P brutia). In: Ne’eman G, Trabaud L (eds) Ecology, biogeography and management of Pinus halepensis and P. brutia forest ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden
R Development Core Team (2008) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna
Rastad H (2009) Study of fire effect on soil physical and chemical properties and regeneration at conifer stands of Guilan provience: case study Siahkal forests. Dissertation, University of Gillan
Rodrigo A, Retana J, Picó FX (2004) Direct regeneration is not the only response of Mediterranean forests to large fire. Ecology 85:716–729
Sanesi G, Lafortezza R, Colangelo G, Marziliano PA, Davies C (2013) Root system investigation in sclerophyllous vegetation: an overview. Ital J Agron 8:121–126. https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2013.e17
Saracino A (1997) Seed dispersal and changing seed characteristics in a Pinus halepensis forest after fire. Plant Ecol 130:13–19
Seymour G, Tecle A (2004) Impact of slash pile size and burning on ponderosa pine forest soil physical characteristics. J Ariz Nev Acad Sci 37(2):74–82
Šimanský V, Chlpik J, Gonet SS (2012) Soil organic matter and aggregates stability in soils after windstorm and fire damage in the High Tatras Mountains. Ekol Bratisl 31(3):322–330. https://doi.org/10.4149/ekol_2012_03_322
Sitlhou A, Singh TB (2014) Post-fire nutrient availability in the sub-tropical forest ecosystem of the Koubru Hills, Manipur. F1000Research 3:30. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.3-30.v1
Smithwick EAH, Turner MG, Mack MC, Chapin FS III (2005) Post fire soil N cycling in northern conifer forests affected by severe stand-replacing wildfires. Ecosystems 8:163–181
Turrión MB, Gallardo JF, González MI (1997) Nutrient availability in forest soils as measured with anion exchange membranes. Geomicrobiol J 14:51–64. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490459709378033
Turrión MB, Mulas R, Lafuente F (2012) Short-term effect of fire severity in chemical and biochemical soil properties in a sandy soil. In: Trasar-Cepeda C et al (eds) Soil enzymology in the recycling of organic wastes and environmental restoration, environmental science and engineering. Springer, Berlin, pp 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21162-1_10
Urbanek E (2013) Why are aggregates destroyed in low intensity fire? Plant Soil 362:33–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1470-6
Van Lierop P, Lindquist E (2015) Global forest area disturbance from fire, insect pests, diseases and severe weather events. For Ecol Manag 352:78–88
Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 1:703–770
Walkley A, Black IA (1934) An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37:29–38
Wieting C, Ebel BA, Singha K (2017) Quantifying the effects of wildfire on changes in soil properties by surface burning of soils from the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory. J Hydrol Reg Stud 13:43–57
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Teresa Bueis for her support during laboratory experiments at University of Valladolid-INIA, Spain.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Project funding: This work was supported by Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria Italy as part of the Lifelong Learning Program ERASMUS Placement 2013–2014.
The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com
Corresponding editor: Yu Lei.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Romeo, F., Marziliano, P.A., Turrión, M.B. et al. Short-term effects of different fire severities on soil properties and Pinus halepensis regeneration. J. For. Res. 31, 1271–1282 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-019-00884-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-019-00884-2