Soil Loss Potential Assessment for Natural and Post-Fire Conditions in Evia Island, Greece

Valkanou, Kanella; Karymbalis, Efthimios; Bathrellos, George D.; Skilodimou, Hariklia D.; Tsanakas, Konstantinos; Papanastassiou, D.; Gaki-Papanastassiou, Kalliopi

doi:10.3390/geosciences12100367

Cited by 13 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…The burnt areas were more susceptible to erosion events than the surrounding non-burnt areas [21]. Valkanou et al [22] demonstrated a significant post-fire change in mean annual soil loss that corresponded to an increase of 114% compared to the pre-fire natural conditions. The dominant landcover types ravaged by the wildfires were mostly coniferous woodland (31%), mixed-and broad-leaved forest (21.30%), and to a lesser extent, agroforestry land [20,22,25,26].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The main geological outcroppings in the study area are peridotites and mafic volcanic rocks, covered by extensive Neogene deposits [20]. Alluvial deposits occur along the drainage networks' major channels and at the mouths of the rivers [22]. The primary landcover categories heavily impacted by the wildfires included predominantly coniferous woodlands, a blend of mixed and broad-leaved forests, and to a lesser degree, areas designated for agroforestry practices.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Soil Sampling and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mediterranean Wildfires’ Effect on Soil Quality and Properties: A Case from Northern Euboea, Greece

Megremi,

Stathopoulou,

Vorris

et al. 2024

Land

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Physical and chemical soil properties are affected by wildfires. Post-wildfire runoff may contain nutrient loads and particulate matter that negatively impact soil, surface water, and groundwater. According to data from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, devastating wildfires on Northern Euboea Island, Greece, in August 2021 destroyed more than 50,910 ha. Coniferous and broad-leaved forests mostly covered the affected area, according to CORINE. Topsoil and subsoil samples were collected from burned areas and analyzed for physicochemical parameters: pH, electrical conductivity, and organic carbon. After digestion with aqua regia, the Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni, Co, and As ‘pseudo total’ contents were determined. Leaching experiments were conducted to evaluate the levels of potentially toxic elements leaching from soils and the impact of environmental conditions. The leachates were analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu, Mn, Fe, Cr, Ni, Co, As, Ca, Mg, Na, and K. Overall, most of the concentrations of the studied elements were higher in fire-affected soils than in unburned ones. Similar findings for element concentrations have been confirmed between topsoils and subsoils, with the latter exhibiting lower values. The increased ‘pseudo total’ values of Cr, Ni, Fe, Co, and Mn in all the soil samples, along with the medium to high positive correlations between them, indicate that geogenic factors play a major role in controlling element enrichment. High concentrations of Mn, Ni, and As in soil leachates exceeded the EU maximum permissible limits, indicating a potential ecological risk to natural water quality and, subsequently, to human health. The correlation coefficients between elements in fire-affected and unburned soils suggested that their geogenic origins were mainly associated with the ultramafic rocks and related ores of the study area. The elements’ concentrations in the leachates were significantly lower than their ‘pseudo total’ contents in soil, with no correlation between them. The reducing order of elements leachability did not coincide with the decreasing order of elements ‘pseudo total’ median values in soils. The decreasing order of element abundance in soil leachates coincides with their relative extractability and differs from the decreasing order of their ‘pseudo total’ median values in soils. Neutral to alkaline, soil pH conditions and organic carbon content, which substantially influence the retention and mobility of elements, presented different patterns among the studied elements, with only Mn, Cr, and Co showing correlations. The increased content of organic matter in fire-affected soils suggests that the combustion of vegetation was incomplete.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mediterranean Wildfires’ Effect on Soil Quality and Properties: A Case from Northern Euboea, Greece

Megremi,

Stathopoulou,

Vorris

et al. 2024

Land

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“…The study found that land cover changes can alter soil type distribution, which is mainly attributable to policy orientation and economic development trends [58,59]. For example, the large-scale conversion of cropland to construction land in Tongzhou District has led to significant changes in the distribution of Cinnamon soil and Aeolian soil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Land Cover Changes on Soil Type Mapping in Plain Areas: Evidence from Tongzhou District of Beijing, China

Wu,

Zhao

et al. 2023

Land

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The flat terrain in the plain areas of Beijing, China makes the land easily accessible for cultivation and farming, providing vast opportunities for agricultural development. Meanwhile, these areas are also crucial for urban construction and economic growth. Soil type mapping plays a key role in understanding soil characteristics and guiding land management practices. However, accurately mapping soil types in plain regions can be challenging due to their low spatial variability and diverse land use types. Although land cover changes due to phenomena such as urbanization, agricultural expansion, and conversion of natural vegetation can significantly affect soil properties and distribution patterns, their impacts on soil type mapping remain unclear. This study investigated the impacts of land cover changes in plain areas on the accuracy of soil type mapping, hoping to provide effective assistance for soil type mapping in plain areas by analyzing their coupling relationship. Focusing on the 20 year land cover changes in Tongzhou District, this study utilizes a unified approach that combines expert knowledge, mixed sampling methods, and RF mapping techniques, while incorporating environmental covariates that have minimal period influence and synergistically using NDVI and land cover data from the same year. Transition matrices are used to reveal land cover changes, confusion matrices, and their derived indicators to analyze changes in soil type mapping accuracy, and coupling analysis is conducted between soil type change areas and land cover change areas. The results show that Tongzhou District has experienced rapid development over the past 20 years, with the area of construction land nearly doubling. Additionally, 29% of arable land has been converted into construction land, resulting in an increase in the accuracy of the soil map from 58.99% to 66.91% over the 20 year period. The soil type change area during this period accounts for 16.5% of the total area, with 51.9% of the changed areas overlapping with land cover change areas. These overlapping regions are predominantly influenced by human activities. In terms of cultivated land types in the study area, the quantity of arable land has decreased by approximately 29% over 20 years, while the proportion of Sandy loam calcareous fluvo-aquic soil and Light loam calcareous fluvo-aquic soil, which constitute nearly half of the soil type, has increased. These data demonstrate the coupling relationship between land cover changes and soil type variations. It is evident that improving the extent of land use in plain areas enhances the credibility of soil type mapping. Meanwhile, human activities impact land cover, which, in turn, affects and reflects changes in the soil type.

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“…The results obtained in the post-fire environment, a few months after the fire, highlight significant differences between the values of the chemical parameters in the three analyzed zones (rooting, control, and ring). In the literature, it is well established that wildfires have an impact on the chemical properties of soils, especially in Mediterranean ecosystems [40][41][42]. Many studies indicate a substantial increase in nutrients immediately after a fire event [41,[43][44][45][46], caused by the combustion of vegetation and debris, which significantly affects their availability.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Effects of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Rooting on the Chemical Properties of Soils in Natural and Post-Fire Environments of the Edough Forest Massif (Northeastern Algeria)

Benotmane,

Boukheroufa,

Sakraoui

et al. 2024

Land

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Wild boars use a wide range of habitats. Their invasive nature is gaining attention due to the complexity of its impact. The goal of this research is to analyze the impact of the wild boar on the chemical properties of soils in a natural and a post-fire forest in the Edough Forest Massif in Algeria. This study compares the impact of wild boar rooting on soil parameters to determine the functional role of the wild boar. The research was conducted during the winter of 2022. The study sites included a natural forest and a post-fire area. Rooting tracks were geolocated and soil samples were collected. The results show significant differences between rooted and control patches in the chemical parameters measured in the two environments. However, in the natural environment, significant differences were only noted for the calcium content and electrical conductivity. But in the post-fire environment, strong significant differences were observed for all measured parameters, suggesting that wild boars do not exert a noticeable soil homogenization effect on the soil properties. This research highlights the importance of understanding and managing the impact of wild boars in natural and post-fire forests on soil formation processes, the diversity of soil properties, and their magnitude.

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Soil Loss Potential Assessment for Natural and Post-Fire Conditions in Evia Island, Greece

Cited by 13 publications

References 56 publications

Mediterranean Wildfires’ Effect on Soil Quality and Properties: A Case from Northern Euboea, Greece

Mediterranean Wildfires’ Effect on Soil Quality and Properties: A Case from Northern Euboea, Greece

Impact of Land Cover Changes on Soil Type Mapping in Plain Areas: Evidence from Tongzhou District of Beijing, China

Comparative Effects of Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) Rooting on the Chemical Properties of Soils in Natural and Post-Fire Environments of the Edough Forest Massif (Northeastern Algeria)

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