Wildland fires are occurring more frequently and affecting more of Earth’s surface than ever before. These fires affect the properties of soils and the processes by which they form, but the nature of these impacts has not been well understood. Given that healthy soil is necessary to sustain biodiversity, ecosystems and agriculture, the impact of fire on soil is a vital field of research.
Fire Effects on Soil Properties brings together current research on the effects of fire on the physical, biological and chemical properties of soil. Written by over 60 international experts in the field, it includes examples from fire-prone areas across the world, dealing with ash, meso and macrofauna, smouldering fires, recurrent fires and management of fire-affected soils. It also describes current best practice methodologies for research and monitoring of fire effects and new methodologies for future research. This is the first time information on this topic has been presented in a single volume and the book will be an important reference for students, practitioners, managers and academics interested in the effects of fire on ecosystems, including soil scientists, geologists, forestry researchers and environmentalists.
विषयसूची
Preface
List of contributors
Part 1: Review of fire effects on soil properties
1 The sedimentary record: the very early acquisition of fire by hominins
2 Laboratory fire simulations: plant litter and soils
3 Ash and soils: a close relationship in fire‑affected areas
4 Texture, mineralogy and structure
5 Soil water repellency
6 Erosion
7 Carbon
8 Nutrient processes
9 Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
10 Microbiology
11 Meso and macrofauna
12 Recurrent fires
13 Smouldering fires and soils
14 Management of fire-affected soils
Part 2: Methods used to study the effects of fire on soils
15 Soil heating
16 Fire severity assessments in both the laboratory and the field
17 Experimental methods and scales in smouldering wildfires
18 Unveiling the effects of fire on soil organic matter by spectroscopic and thermal degradation methods
19 Methods used in the study of slash‑and‑burn fires
20 Techniques for mapping the effects of fire on soil
21 Remote sensing techniques applied to post-fire regeneration
Annex I
Index