Water repellency in Mediterranean burned soils. A comparison between field and laboratory data
Abstract
Soil water repellency (WR) is one of the properties most affected by combustion during a forest fire. Measurements of water repellency can be made directly in field or in soil samples under laboratory conditions. In other hand, previous laboratory findings have demonstrated that soil properties can be a key factor controlling the development of WR by burning, terra rossa being a type of soil with a low susceptibility to develop WR. One of the objectives of this research was to confirm laboratory findings under field conditions. In summer 2008 WR was assessed in five areas recently affected by fires in MT. Carmel (NW Israel) and Alicante (SE Spain). The main difference between areas was the type of soil. Two of the soils were classified as Typic Xerorthents, another two as Lithic Rhodoxeralfs (terra rossa) and the other as a Calicixerept. In each one of the study areas WR was tested beneath Pinus halepensis in both burned and unburned (control) adjacent sites. WR tests were conducted under field conditions in triplicate using the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test in the top of the A horizon. A total of 300 field measurements were done. Soil samples from the first 0-2.5cm depth were also taken from the same places where WR was assessed for laboratory measurements. In general terms, without distinguishing between areas, fire increased the frequency of occurrence of WR in affected soils. However, the magnitude of this effect is quite different depending on the studied area. The study sites with terra rossa soils showed the lowest WR values. Most of samples were wettable (
- Publication:
-
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010EGUGA..12.2529M