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The heat generated during wildfires often leads to increases in soil water repellency. Above a critical heating threshold, however, its destruction occurs. Although the temperature thresholds for repellency destruction are relatively well established, little is known about the specific changes in the soil organic matter that are responsible for repellency destruction. Here we report on the analysis...
The aim of this study is to improve our knowledge of the temporal and spatial variations of soil water repellency following wildfire, in particular for the eucalypt stands that now dominate the landscape of north-central Portugal.Topsoil water repellency was monitored on 21 occasions over a 10-month period, starting in September 2005, six weeks after a moderately severe wildfire. This was done, on...
It is established that soil hydrophobicity reduces soil infiltration rates, and enhances runoff flow and soil erosion. Water repellency has been studied with special interest in coniferous and eucalyptus forests, particularly after burning, but the number of studies concerning Mediterranean heathlands is still very low. In this paper, we study the occurrence and persistence of water repellency in...
Little is known on the hydrological behavior of the volcanic ash soils, which are characterized by extremely high porosities and hydraulic conductivities. In this study the occurrence and hydrological effects of water repellency were investigated at a plot scale for different types of land use and volcanic soils in Mexican volcanic highlands from Michoacan, Mexico: [1] fir, pine and oak mixed forest...
The study of soil water repellency has received increasing attention by the scientific community in recent years since it has been found to be a much more widespread property than previously thought and significant impacts on soil hydrological processes and erosion have been identified. In addition to these, soil water repellency has many other important consequences for soil functioning, fertility...
This study addressed the impacts of contrasting pre-fire ground preparation operations on post-fire runoff and inter-rill erosion in six eucalypt plantations in north-central Portugal, with a special emphasis on the role of soil water repellency in the seasonal patterns of overland flow generation. To this end, a down slope ploughed, a contour ploughed and a terraced site were compared with three...
Biological soil crusts have a major effect on water flow in soils. Two study sites, located at a pine-forest glade covered with a biological soil crust, formed the basis of our study. The sand soil at the surface (Glade soil) was compared to a control soil (Pure sand) with limited impact of vegetation or organic matter, occurring at 50cm depth beneath a glade area. To assess the influence of algae...
The occurrence and consequences of soil water repellency (SWR) have been reported in many parts of the world, but little is known on the existence of SWR in Iran. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the persistence of SWR in 10 forestry sites under different plant species (Pinus taeda, Alnus subcordata, Pterocarya fraxinifolia, Sambucus ebulus, Boxus sempervirens, Parotia persica,...
This study evaluates the spatial and temporal variability in soil water repellency (SWR) in two Mediterranean rangelands (with similar tree and shrub species) and its relationships to different eco-geomorphologic variables (climate, aspect, soil cover and some soil properties). Every month from October 2008 to May 2009 (rainy season), soil moisture and SWR was measured in field conditions by means...
Fire is an important physical agent that influences several environmental processes. It is used in slash-and-burn agriculture as a tool for land management, where the heat generated during burning can change physical, chemical and biological soil properties. Therefore, the fallow period plays a key role in both increasing sustainability and reducing soil degradation in slash-and-burn agricultural...
Current climate change makes it necessary to gain a deeper understanding of the runoff generation processes in Central European forests. A changing climate might affect soil water repellency (SWR) which can be seen as an import trigger for overland flow generation in forested areas. In this study the differences between coniferous and deciduous forest concerning SWR and overland flow generation were...
This study examined the effect of wildfire on the physical degradation of two forest soils in NW Spain and compared this against changes produced by controlled laboratory heating experiments in which unburned soils from neighbouring sites were exposed to five different heating regimes. The physical soil degradation was considered with respect to organic carbon content, dry aggregate size distribution,...
The 2000 Valley Complex wildfire burned in steep montane forests with ash cap soils in western Montana, USA. The effects of high soil burn severity on forest soil hydrologic function were examined using rainfall simulations (100mmh−1 for 1h) on 0.5-m2 plots. Infiltration rates, sediment yields and sediment concentrations were compared among three treatments: control (unburned and undisturbed); bare...
Increasing trends in wildfire activity on semi-arid rangelands necessitate advancement in understanding of fire impacts on vegetation, soils, and runoff and erosion processes. This study used artificially applied rainfall and concentrated overland flow experiments to evaluate the ecohydrologic response and recovery of a semi-arid shrubland in the Great Basin Region, USA, following fire. Rainfall experiments...
Soil water repellency (SWR) has been reported under different soils, land uses and regions of the world, particularly in forest land and after wildfires, yet the understanding of this variable in agricultural lands is still rather limited. This study presents the characterization from field-based measurements of SWR in four contrasted olive groves (Olea europaea L.) in Spain in terms of different...
Fire is a key factor impacting soil hydrology in many Mediterranean catchments. Soil water repellency (SWR) can stimulate land degradation processes by reducing the affinity of soil and water thereby triggering a reduction in soil fertility and increasing soil and water losses. The effects of two consequent fires (1989 and 2005) on SWR were assessed in the Carmel Mountains, Israel. Fire history, plant...
The occurrence and consequences of soil water repellency (SWR) have been reported in many parts of the world, but little is known on the reasons and mechanisms of SWR in grasslands. Although considerable advances have been made in the past 10years in understanding the impact of hydrophobic organic compounds on water repellency, there is still a considerable amount to be learnt. Of particular importance...
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