Effect of simulated forest fire on the availability of N and P in mediterranean soils (original) (raw)

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Abstract

The effect of soil burning on N and P availability and on mineralization and nitrification rates of N in the burned mineral soil was studied by combustion of soils in the laboratory.

At a fire temperature of 600°C, there was a complete volatilization of NH4 and a significant increase of pH, from 7.6 in the unburned soil to 11.7 in the burned soil. Under such conditions ammonification and nitrification reactions were inhibited. Less available P was produced immediately after the fire at 600°C, as compared to P amount produced at 250°C. Burning the soils with plants caused a decrease in NH4-N and (NO2+NO3)-N concentrations in the soil as well as a reduction in ammonification and nitrification rates. Combustion of soil with plants contributed additional available P to the burned soil.

The existence of a non-burned soil under the burned one played an important role in triggering ammonification and nitrification reactions.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Lowdermilk Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32 000, Haifa, Israel
   P. Kutiel & A. Shaviv

Authors

1. P. Kutiel
2. A. Shaviv

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Kutiel, P., Shaviv, A. Effect of simulated forest fire on the availability of N and P in mediterranean soils.Plant Soil 120, 57–63 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370290

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• Received: 09 August 1988
• Revised: 15 June 1989
• Issue date: November 1989
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02370290

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