Jorge Mataix-Solera

Unsustainable management in food production has led to the degradation of fertile and biodiverse soils in agricultural and forestry areas of the planet, reducing the supply of ecosystem services and the quality of human life. Therefore, it is a priority to establish policy that promote productivity, as well as the stability and biodiversity of agricultural soils, in congruence with their regional and local geographic conditions. In the framework of the Horizon 2020 SOILGUARD project, that aims to assess the soil biodiversity status in different countries with different management practices and the effects of climate change, this work seeks to identify changes in key properties of soil quality and health in Mediterranean environments under different degradation and management scenarios. Using a raster model of soil degradation obtained through the LUCAS soil information repository, and verification in field though visual soil assessments, plots with two levels of degradation were identified. We worked on 10 plots with traditional management and 10 with organic management, in agricultural Mediterranean area (Murcia, Spain) being considered organic those without using inorganic fertilization for more than ten years. Soil samples were taken from each plot and analyzed for some soil properties such as: organic matter content, microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration and some enzymatic activities, also available phosphorus, bulk density, and coarse fragments. One of the main SOILGUARD hypothesis is that soils under organic management have more biodiversity and this makes then more resilient to the climate change. By understanding the changes in soil quality and health, it will be possible to establish more precise recommendations for the establishment of agricultural management policies for Mediterranean environments. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation programme under the Grant Agreement no. 101000371. SOILGUARD Project https://soilguard-h2020.eu/

In Lithuania, fire is frequently used by farmers as a tool to remove dry grass, improve soil nutrient status and help soil tilling. However, little is known about the ecological impacts of these fires, including vegetation recovery. The objective of this work is to study the impacts of a spring grassland fire on vegetation recuperation on an east‐facing (A) and a west‐facing slope (B), considering fire severity and slope position, 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire. Because of their effects on fire behaviour, aspect, steepness and heterogeneity of topography favoured higher fire severity on slope B than on slope A. Three different slope positions were identified on slope A – flat top, middle slope and flat bottom – and five on slope B – flat top, middle slope, flat middle slope, slope bottom slope and flat bottom. Fire severity was high in top slope positions. The recovery of vegetation was very fast. By the end of the study, vegetation covered nearly 100% of the study area, alth...

Wildland fires are occurring more frequently and affecting more of Earth's surface than ever before. These fires affect the properties of soils and the processes by which they form, but the nature of these impacts has not been well understood. Given that healthy soil is necessary to sustain biodiversity, ecosystems and agriculture, the impact of fire on soil is a vital field of research. Fire Effects on Soil Properties brings together current research on the effects of fire on the physical, biological and chemical properties of soil. Written by over 60 international experts in the field, it includes examples from fire-prone areas across the world, dealing with ash, meso and macrofauna, smouldering fires, recurrent fires and management of fire-affected soils. It also describes current best practice methodologies for research and monitoring of fire effects and new methodologies for future research. This is the first time information on this topic has been presented in a single vol...

Although Mediterranean ecosystems are adapted to fire disturbances, soils are prone to degradation. Therefore, post-fire forest management is a critical step for ecosystem recovery: it can either reduce soil degradation or add a new disturbance. Post-fire management in Mediterranean burnt forests includes interventions with contrasting approaches, including the management of burnt trees, soil protection, or practices devoted to ecosystem restoration via the improvement of components or processes in the affected ecosystem. The consequences of forest management on soils are complex, thereby, in the context of the intensification of fire events and climate change, understanding the response of key soil components in managed ecosystems is critical for prioritizing soil conservation. One interesting component in the early post-fire stages is moss biocrust. The rapid colonization of biocrust-forming mosses in early successional stages post-disturbance stabilizes soils in their most vulner...

Durante siglos los incendios forestales han tenido lugar en España y han configurado el paisaje vegetal del país. Lo que se plantea en este artículo es analizar si ha habido un cambio de régimen de incendios en las últimas décadas. Los resultados indican que parece ser que sí hay un cambio de régimen, aunque la respuesta es diferente dependiendo de la ubicación geográfica de los bosques en España. El abandono de las prácticas forestales, la despoblación de las áreas rurales y los efectos del cambio climático, pueden ser las causas de este cambio de régimen de incendios.

After wildfires in Mediterranean forests, mosses have been described as faster colonizers in early successional stages when soil surface is more vulnerable and exposed to rainfall events. Soil erosion mitigation is an ecosystem service of high relevance provided by moss-dominated biocrusts, but information about additional functional roles of early post-fire colonization of mosses is still limited. In August 2018, a wildfire in “Sierra de Beneixama” (E Spain) affecting a total of 862 ha was followed by salvage logging management that triggered rill formation and soil erosion processes. Six months after the fire and subsequent management disturbances, the presence of mosses covering the soil reached 30%, appearing where no soil water repellency was detected. The aim of the study was to assess the short-term effects of mosses on the nutrients content and the stability of soils underlying the crust (2.5 cm depth), as well as the soil microorganisms and functions they deliver as key ele...

Abstract A study was carried out to assess if the visual soil assessment method (VSA) would allow recognizing differences between soils receiving organic matter (OM) amendments and similar control soils, by the observation of visual soil quality indicators’ score. 36 practices were identified across 8 pedoclimatic zones. These fields/plots were paired with nearby control fields/plots, without OM amendments, sharing similar farming features. A survey, comprising a VSA of the soil structure status, surface ponding, signs of erosion, earthworm counts and soil stability (slake test), complemented by measurements of soil organic matter (SOM) and permanganate oxidizable organic carbon (LOC) content, soil pH, penetration resistance and texture, on soils of both management system groups (OM addition and Control), was performed in 2016. Correlations of the visual soil quality indicators’ score with SOM, LOC, other soil properties and climate variables and indices were calculated within each group; the correlations between soil properties, and between soil properties (SOM and LOC) and climate variables were also calculated. A statistically significantly higher proportion of soils of the OM group had a good score for “soil structure and consistency” and “soil porosity”. These differences are not directly explained by non-inherent soil properties. No statistically significant Spearman’s correlation coefficients were observed between “soil structure and consistency” and either soil properties or climate variables; concerning “soil porosity”, distinct statistically significant correlations were observed between the two groups with different climate variables and indices. Correlations between the scores of the visual soil quality indicators and climate variables were found to follow the same directions of correlations of LOC content with the same climate variables, although the latter correlations were weak. Mean SOM and LOC content, were slightly higher in the OM group, although differences were not statistically significant. A high linear correlation between LOC (mg/g) and SOM (%) (r = 0.65, n = 26) exists within the Control group, but not within the OM group (r = 0.20 and n = 26). When the relationship of SOM and LOC content with visual soil quality indicators’ score was studied, statistically significant correlations were only observed between SOM and “earthworm count” within the Control group (rs = 0.44), and between LOC and “soil colour” within the OM group (rs=-0.52). Both LOC content and LOC status (ranked as a function of LOC content and soil texture), had only negative statistically significant correlations with visual soil quality indicators’ score, questioning their worth as stand-alone soil quality indicators.

The intensification of agricultural practices to increase food and feed outputs is a pressing challenge causing deterioration of soil quality and soil functions. Such a challenge demands provision of empirical evidence to provide context‐sensitive guidance on agricultural management practices (AMPs) that may enhance soil quality. The objectives of this study are to identify the most promising AMPs (and their combinations) applied by farmers with the most positive effects on soil quality and to evaluate the sensitivity of the soil quality indicators to the applied AMPs. The effect of selected AMPs on soil quality was assessed using a visual soil assessment tool in a total of 138 pairs of plots spread across 14 study site areas in Europe and China covering representative pedo‐climatic zones. The inventory and scoring of soil quality were conducted together with landowners. Results show that 104 pairs show a positive effect of AMPs on soil quality. Higher effects of the AMPs were obser...

The extent (determined by the repellency indices RI and RIc) and persistence (determined by the water drop penetration time, WDPT) of soil water repellency (SWR) induced by pines were assessed in vastly different geographic regions. The actual SWR characteristics were estimated in situ in clay loam soil at Ciavolo, Italy (CiF), sandy soil at Culbin, United Kingdom (CuF), silty clay soil at Javea, Spain (JaF), and sandy soil at Sekule, Slovakia (SeF). For Culbin soil, the potential SWR characteristics were also determined after oven-drying at 60°C (CuD). For two of the three pine species considered, strong (Pinus pinaster at CiF) and severe (Pinus sylvestris at CuD and SeF) SWR conditions were observed. Pinus halepensis trees induced slight SWR at JaF site. RI and RIc increased in the order: JaF < CuF < CiF < CuD < SeF, reflecting nearly the same order of WDPT increase. A lognormal distribution fitted well to histograms of RIc data from CuF and JaF, whereas CiF, CuD and S...

Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127] Merche B. Bodi⁎, Deborah A. Martin, Victoria N. Balfour, Cristina Santin, Stefan H. Doerr, Paulo Pereira, Artemi Cerda, Jorge Mataix-Solera a ECOBE (Ecosystem Management Research Group), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium b SEDER (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group), Departamento de Geografia, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain c National Research Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO, USA d Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, USA e Department of Geography, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK f Environmental Management Center, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania g GEA (Grupo de Edafologia Ambiental), Departamento de Agroquimica y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain

<p>Forest mechanical fuel treatments in Mediterranean ecosystems are frequently employed to reduce both the risk and severity of wildfires. These pre-fire treatments may influence the effects of wildfire events on soil properties. The aim of this study is to examine the effectivity of this treatment (clear-cutting operation whereby part of the vegetation was cut and left covering soil surface) carried out before a wildfire that broke out in 2015 and evaluate if the management had influence on post-wildfire soil properties of three sites: two exposed to management practices in 2005 (site M05B) and in 2015 (site M15B)–and one that did not undergo any management (NMB) and to compare their properties with those recorded in a Control area unaffected by 2015 wildfire. The fourth areas were sampled and compared 2, 10 and 18 months after wildfire. The study area is located in Ódena (Catalonia, Spain). The wildfire occurred at July 27<sup>th</sup> of 2015 and burned 1237 ha. In each area and in each sampling moment we collected 9 topsoil samples (0-5 cm depth). We analyzed aggregate stability (AS), soil organic matter (SOM) content, total nitrogen (TN), carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N), inorganic carbon (IC), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), microbial biomass carbon (C<sub>mic</sub>) and basal soil respiration (BSR). Two-way ANOVA was carried out to check the differences according to sampling moment and to management. The results show that 2 months after the wildfire M05B showed greater amount of IC and pH; M15B showed greater Na than the other areas; NMB resulted higher in AS, TN, SOM, EC, Ca, Mg, K and BSR; and Control registered the highest C<sub>mic</sub>. C/N resulted similar in the 4 areas in the three sampling moments. Ten months after wildfire, M05B showed greater AS and IC; NMB resulted higher in TN, SOM, EC, Mg and K; and Control showed higher pH, Ca, Na, C<sub>mic</sub> and BSR. In the last sampling, 18 months after wildfire, M05B showed greater pH; M15B showed higher AS; NMB resulted higher in TN, SOM, EC, Ca and K; and Control showed higher IC, Mg, Na, C<sub>mic</sub> and BSR. According to the treatments M05B registered higher TN, SOM, IC, EC, Mg, Na and K during 1<sup>st</sup> sampling; AS and C/N during 2<sup>nd</sup> sampling; and pH, Ca, C<sub>mic</sub> and BSR during 3<sup>rd</sup> sampling. M15B registered higher IC, Mg, Na and K during 1<sup>st</sup> sampling; BSR and C/N during 2<sup>nd</sup> sampling; and AS, TN, SOM, pH, EC, Ca and…

Tras un incendio forestal, el fuego puede inducir la aparición de repelencia al agua del suelo. La repelencia al agua del suelo puede variar en el espacio y el tiempo en función de la vegetación, la presencia de cenizas y la humedad del suelo. En este estudio se analiza la evolución de la repelencia al agua del suelo inducida por el fuego en función de estos factores, y se proponen medidas para favorecer la restauración de suelos afectados por incendios. Para ello, se seleccionaron parcelas de suelo quemado y no quemado (control) bajo pino y matorral en un área recientemente incendiada (Gorga, Alicante, Este de España). En parte de las parcelas se mantuvo la capa de ceniza, mientras que en otras se retiró la capa de cenizas simulando los efectos de la erosión. Finalmente, en un tercer grupo, se llevó a cabo un riego percolante para simular una buena entrada de agua en el perfil del suelo que podría darse si las primeras lluvias son copiosas pero de baja intensidad. Durante la época seca, el contenido en humedad del suelo fue significativamente menor en las parcelas quemadas debido a la repelencia al agua inducida por el fuego y a la disminución de la cobertura vegetal. Durante la estación húmeda, la humedad del suelo fue menor en las parcelas control debido a la evaporación directa del agua interceptada por la vegetación y el consumo realizado por las raíces. El fuego incrementó la repelencia al agua sólo en parcelas bajo pino. La repelencia disminuyó en la estación húmeda, desapareciendo a partir de enero y volviendo a aparecer tras la disminución de las lluvias. Esta recuperación de los valores iniciales de repelencia fue menor en los lugares donde se simuló la erosión de las cenizas. En las parcelas no quemadas, las fluctuaciones estacionales fueron menos importantes. En general, la retirada de cenizas favorece una rápida disminución de la repelencia al agua, ya que puede inducir un lavado de compuestos hidrofóbicos. El riego percolante realizado inmediatamente tras el fuego contribuyó también a un descenso de la repelencia al agua.After wildfires, burning may induce the occurrence of soil water repellency. Soil water repellency may vary in space and time in function of vegetation, the presence of ash and soil moisture. This study analyzes the evolution of fire-induced soil water repellency in function of these factors, and proposes measures to promote the restoration of fire-affected soils. Burnt and unburnt (control) soil plots under pine and shrub from a recently burned area (Gorga, Alicante, SE Spain) were established. Three treatments were applied: in some of the plots, the original ash layer was kept on the ground; in a second group, the ash layer was removed for simulating the effects of erosion; finally, in a third group, percolating irrigation was conducted to simulate a possible good input of water into the soil profile after burning, that could occur if the first rains were with high quantity but low intensity. During the dry season, soil moisture content was significantly lower in burned plots due to fire-induced water repellency and reduced vegetation cover. During the wet season, soil moisture decreased in the control unburnt plots due to direct evaporation of water intercepted by vegetation and consumption by roots. Fire increased soil water repellency only in plots under pine. Water repellency decreased during the wet season, disappearing in January and reappearing after declining rainfalls. This baseline recovery of soil water repellency was lower where ash removal was simulated. In unburned plots, seasonal fluctuations were less important. In general, ash removal promotes a rapid reduction of water repellency, since it can induce washing of hydrophobic compounds. Irrigation performed immediately after the fire also contributed to decreased water repellency.España Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. proyecto HYDFIRE (CGL2010-21670-C02-01

Wildfires are a common phenomenon globally, nonetheless some ecosystems are more adapted than others. In this work, we show results of a study conducted in Torres del Paine National Park (Chile) that suffered a big forest fire in 2011, affecting 17,666 ha. The Park is located in the transitional forest-steppe zone whose annual rainfall varies between 300 and 1,500 mm. Plant communities goes from Patagonian steppe, pre-Andean scrub to Magellanic forest. Based on vegetation community and trying to cover all representative sectors affected by the fire, 5 areas of the park were sampled in 2019 following the transects where a vegetation recovery study has been monitored since the fire occurred. Soil parameters used to evaluate were: texture, soil water repellency (WR), organic matter (OM), and aggregation, including total content of macroaggregates (TCA) and their stability (AS). The results showed high values of OM, however three of the 5 areas showed statistically lower values of OM in...

After a wildfire, moss crust develops in early post-fire stages revealing important roles related to soil erosion prevention and increase of soil fertility. However, the post-fire management selected could determine the capacity of soil to recover and the active role of mosses in the ecosystem recovery. Salvage logging (SL) was performed in the wildfire that occurred in July 2012 in "Sierra de Mariola Natural Park" (E Spain), with detrimental consequences to soils in the short-term. The aim of the study is to assess if the presence of a biocrust dominated by mosses six years after the wildfire improved the soil quality and functions, and if the salvage logging management influenced the process. Our results showed that the SL management affected in a medium-term to the percentage of soil covered by mosses, reaching 78.4% in control soils compared to 56% in SL soils. Regarding the influence of mosses in soils, our results did not show greater differences in the physical parameters measured, hydraulic conductivity, water repellency and soil penetration resistance, possibly related to the lower developmental stages of the biocrust. However, it was observed that the presence of mosses played a significant role in both the soil fertility and the microbial activity. The improvement in soil fertility was registered mainly in the organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous contents, and for the microbial parameters, for which higher values for the microbial biomass carbon and basal soil respiration were reached in soils under mosses. In conclusion, we can suggest that mosses had an important role in the functional recovery of degraded ecosystems after wildfires, and therefore we encourage considering the presence of mosses in the post-fire managements.

Burning of vegetation can promote changes in soil physical properties and also create hydrophobic substances, which accumulate and result in the formation of water-repellent layers. A study was conducted between 2005 and 2011 on an Albaqualf, with natural grassland composed mainly of Andropogon lateralis, in southern Brazil, to investigate the induction of hydrophobicity by burning and changes in the soil hydro-physical characteristics. The treatments consisted of no burning, and burned 60, 36, 12, 6, 4, and 2 months before sampling. Burning management did not change the saturated hydraulic conductivity, whereas air permeability was significantly reduced in the surface layer, nearly reaching the original values 4 months after burning. Saturated hydraulic conductivity and air permeability correlated with total porosity and macroporosity. The surface layer was the most sensitive to fire effects, with an increased degree of hydrophobicity for up to 2 months after vegetation burning. Hy...

During a forest fire, a layer of vegetative ash is often deposited over soil surface. The amount of ash deposited as well as its physical and chemical properties are highly variable. These parameters are influenced particularly by vegetation type and fire severity, resulting in a differing ash colour. This ash remains over the soil until it is redistributed by water