Effects of Heat and Brush Burning on the Physical Properties of Certain Upland Soils That Influence Infiltration

Scott, Verne H.; Burgy, R. H.

doi:10.1097/00010694-195607000-00008

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, the loss of soil structure through disaggregation and collapse of large pores can result in decrease in total porosity and increase in bulk density (Chief et al, 2012). Additionally, the sealing of macropores following burns can result in decrease in hydraulic conductivity and infiltration (Scott & Burgy, 1956). This postburn soil sealing can further be aggravated by breakdown of already weakened soil aggregates due to raindrop impacts that result in soil surface compaction (Hoogmoed & Stroosnijder, 1984;Poesen & Savat, 1981).…”

Section: Implications Of Low Intensity Burns On Ecosystem Processes Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Structural Degradation During Low‐Severity Burns

Jian

Berli

Ghezzehei

2018

Geophysical Research Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Low‐severity wildfires and prescribed burns have been steadily increasing for over three decades, currently accounting for more than half of total burned area in the southwestern United States. Most observations immediately after low‐severity burns report little adverse impacts on soil properties and processes. In a few studies, however, significant deterioration of soil structure has been observed several months after such fires. Here we show that rapid vaporization of pore water during low‐severity burns raises pneumatic gas pressure inside large aggregates (20–30 mm) to damaging levels, on the order of aggregate tensile strength and high enough to cause viscoplastic deformation. However, the impact on soil structure was not immediately perceptible. This suggests that other natural forces, such as wetting‐drying and thermal cycles, are required to disrupt the weakened aggregates. Thus, adverse consequences of the suggested mechanism on soil processes and services (e.g., infiltration, erodibility, and organic matter protection) are likely overlooked.

show abstract

Section: Implications Of Low Intensity Burns On Ecosystem Processes Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Structural Degradation During Low‐Severity Burns

Jian

Berli

Ghezzehei

2018

Geophysical Research Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Certain soils, when exposed to extreme heating, are capable of being baked to a state of improved aggregation with improved hydraulic properties (Scott and Burgy, 1955). More usually severe heating of the soil will increase its erodibility (OeBano, 1981;Giovannini and ' -Lucchesi, 1983;Watson and Poulter, 1987).…”

Section: The Effect Of Fire On Soil Erodibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The hydrological effects of fire in South African mountain catchments

Scott

1993

Journal of Hydrology

169

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Stream-flow and storm-flow in four small catchments were analysed by the paired catchment method for a response to fire. Two of the catchments were vegetated with over-mature fynbos (the indigenous scrub vegetation of the southwestern Cape Province, South Africa) , one was afforested to Pinus radiata and the fourth to Eucalyptus fastigata. One of the fynbos catchments was burned in a prescribed fire in the late dry season. The other catchments burned in wildfires. Neither of the fynbos catchments showed a change in storm-flows. Annual total flow increases of around 16% were in line with predictions, being related to the reductions in transpiration and interception. The manner of stream-flow and storm-flow generation appeared to have remained unaltered despite the fire. The two timber plantation catchments experienced large and significant increases in stormflow and sediment yields , while total flow increased by 12% in the pine catchment and decreased marginally in the eucalypt catchment. After fire , storm hydrographs were higher and steeper though their duration was little changed. These fire effects are considered to be due to changes in storm-flow generation consistent with an increased delivery of overland flow to the stream channel. This was caused , in part, by reduced infiltration resulting from water repellency in the soils of the burned catchments. The inherent wettability of a wide range of soil types and textures from beneath timber plantations and other vegetation types over a broad geographic distribution in South Africa was measured by fou r methods. Soils with high repellency ratings , unrelated to fire , are common and are most likely to occur beneath plantations of Eucalyptus and Acacia spp. and indigenous forest. Water repellent soils played a ro le, at two of the three locations, in the generation of overland flow from small plots exposed to simulated rainfall. However, the inherent repellency of the dry soils was extreme , such that fire-induced water repellency was not a factor in the response of the plots. The important role of fire in this experiment was in burning-off of repellency in the surface layer of the soil and in removing ground cover. III PREFACE The experimental work for this thesis was carried out in the experimental catchments of the Jonkershoek Forestry Research Centre near Stellenbosch and the Ntabamhlope research catchments near Estcourt, at field sites near Richmond and Mid-Illovo, Natal, and in the laboratories of the Jonkershoek Forestry Research Centre and the Departments of Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy of the University of Natal , Pietermaritzburg , under the supervision of Professor Roland E. Schulze. These studies represent my own original research and have not previously been submitted in any form for any degree or diploma to any University. Where use has been made of the work of others this is specifically acknowledged in the text.

show abstract

“…Letey, Osborn, and Pelishek (1962) reported water repellency in certain chaparral soils that appeared to be produced by organic substances of plant origin. The limited data available indicate that temperatures between 1150° and 1200°F (621 °-704°C) can be reached during a brush fire (Sampson 1944, Bentley andFenner 1958), ample to distill hydrophobic substances . More recent work by DeBano ( 1966) indicated that the hydrophobic substance was not destroyed by fire on the soil surface, but that fire temperatures over 400°F (205°C) vaporized and distilled the substance downward.…”

Section: Fire In Chaparralmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upon cooling, these vapors condensed in a concentrated layer a few centimeters below the soil surface. The limited data available indicate that temperatures between 1150° and 1200°F (621 °-704°C) can be reached during a brush fire (Sampson 1944, Bentley andFenner 1958), ample to distill hydrophobic substances . Scott and Burgy (1956) demonstrated increased water infiltration rates in soils on recently burned chaparral sites.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Succession after Fire in the Chaparral of Southern California

Hanes¹

1971

Ecological Monographs

433

276

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Extensive sampling of chaparral with 10-m line intercepts in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains of southern California revealed site-oriented vegetative characteristics and successional patterns. Of the 78 species encountered, few were widespread and abundant; most were local and infrequent. The most widespread and abundant species were long-lived rootcrown sprouters. Adenostoma fasciculatum ( chamise), the most frequently encountered shrub, occurred on 71.4% of the sites and composed one-fifth of all shrubs in the study. The second most common species, Quercus dumosa (scrub oak), appeared on 32% of the sites sampled. Many non-sprouting subshrubs and woody species were restricted to elevations below 3,000 ft (ca. 900 m), sunny exposures, and young stands.Chaparral succession, both in composition and rate of change, is influenced most by aspect, particularly north-and south-facing slopes. Next in importance is the influence of coastal and desert exposure. Elevation is a factor that may compensate for coastal-desert exposure or aspect. Percentage of slope is least important. The rate of succession after fire in coastal chaparral is slowest on south-facing slopes below 3,000 ft. Early stages of shrub succession are characterized by a mixture of chaparral seedlings, resprouts, and seedlings of coastal sage subshrubs. Most of the present-day chaparral on south-facing slopes is a coastal sage-chaparral subclimax due to frequent fire. On fire-free sites a chamise-chaparral climax community develops within 30 years after fire. The fastest succession rate is in coastal chaparral on northfacing slopes above 3,000 ft. The profusion of coastal sage subshrubs is missing, and vigorous, tall-growing sprouting species are abundant. The death of large, short-lived species in stands older than 25 years allows pockets of sera! species to develop in the climax scrub oak-chaparral. Chaparral succession is not a series of vegetational replacements, but a gradual ascendance of long-lived species present in the pre-fire stand.The pattern of chaparral succession on desert exposures differs from that on coastal exposures. Slope aspect is less important, but proximity to the Pacific Ocean is more important than on coastal exposures. Fire favors the sprouting species of chaparral over woodland and forest communities bordering the chaparral communities. Fewer chaparral species occur on desert exposures than on coastal ones. Seedling and mature shrub mortality rates are lower in desert than in coastal chaparral. Succession after fire in desert chaparral is slow, and the climax community is composed of large shrub specimens with subshrubs clustered around their skirts and a canopy broken by intershrub spaces.Chaparral stands older than 60 years often are decadent, especially chamise-chaparral. Old stands are characterized by a high proportion of dead wood, little annual growth, and no new seedling development. Various phytotoxic substances may account for the loss of vitality and lack of regeneration. Maintenance of vigorous chamise-...

show abstract

Effects of Heat and Brush Burning on the Physical Properties of Certain Upland Soils That Influence Infiltration

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Soil Structural Degradation During Low‐Severity Burns

Soil Structural Degradation During Low‐Severity Burns

The hydrological effects of fire in South African mountain catchments

Succession after Fire in the Chaparral of Southern California

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About