Impact of a moderate/high-severity prescribed eucalypt forest fire on soil phosphorous stocks and partitioning

The Science of the Total Environment
Cristina SantínChris J Chafer

Abstract

This study examines the direct impact of a moderate/high-severity prescribed fire on phosphorous (P) stocks and partitioning in oligotrophic soils of a dry eucalypt forest within Sydney's water supply catchments, Australia. We also quantify and characterize the P present in the ash produced in this fire, and explore its relationships with the maximum temperatures recorded in the litter layer during the burn. In these oligotrophic soils, P concentrations were already relatively low before the fire (<130mgkg-1, mainly in organic forms). The fire consumed the entire litter layer and the thin Oa soil horizon, creating 6.3±3.1tha-1of ash, and resulted into direct net P losses of ~7kgha-1. The P lost was mostly organic and there was a moderate net gain of inorganic and non-reactive P forms. Importantly, only a small proportion of the post-fire P was bioavailable (equivalent to ~3% of the total P lost during fire). Higher total P concentrations in ash corresponded with higher maximum temperatures (>650°C) recorded in the burning litter layer, but effects of fire temperature on ash P partitioning were not significant. Fire not only transformed P chemically, but also physically. Our results show that, immediately after fire, up to 2kgha...Continue Reading

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