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Type: Journal Article
Author(s): Jeff A. Hatten; Darlene Zabowski; George R. Scherer; Elizabeth Dolan
Publication Date: 2005

Forests that were subject to frequent wildfires, such as ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir forests, had fire-return intervals of approximately 6-24 years. However, fire suppression over the last century has increased the fire-return interval by a factor of 5 in these forests, possibly resulting in changes to the soil. The objective of this study was to determine if soils of recently burned areas (representative of the natural fire-return interval) have different properties relative to soils in areas without recent fire. To assess this, recent low-intensity, lightning-caused, spot wildfire areas were located within fire-suppressed stands of ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir of the central, eastern Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Soil horizon depths were measured, and samples collected by major genetic horizons. Samples were analyzed for pH, C, N, C/N ratio, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (%BS), hydrophobicity and extractable P. Results show very little difference in soil properties between sitesburned by low-severity fires and those areas left unburned. Such minimal changes, from these low-severity fires, in soil properties from fire suppression suggest there has also been little change in soil processes.

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Citation: Hatten, Jeff; Zabowski, Darlene; Scherer, George R.; Dolan, Elizabeth. 2005. A comparison of soil properties after contemporary wildfire and fire-suppression. Forest Ecology and Management 220(1-3):227-241.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Regions:
Keywords:
  • C - carbon
  • cation exchange capacity
  • chemistry
  • combustion
  • coniferous forests
  • Douglas-fir
  • ecosystem dynamics
  • FFS - Fire and Fire Surrogate Study
  • fire exclusion
  • fire frequency
  • fire management
  • fire regimes
  • fire suppression
  • forest management
  • forest soil
  • hydrology
  • lightning caused fires
  • low intensity burns
  • low-severity fire
  • mineral soil
  • N - nitrogen
  • Pinus ponderosa
  • ponderosa pine
  • post-fire recovery
  • Pseudotsuga menziesii
  • soil
  • soil moisture
  • soil nutrients
  • spot fires
  • statistical analysis
  • wildfires
Tall Timbers Record Number: 18862Location Status: In-fileCall Number: Fire FileAbstract Status: Okay, Fair use, Reproduced by permission
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 174

This bibliographic record was either created or modified by Tall Timbers and is provided without charge to promote research and education in Fire Ecology. The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database is the intellectual property of Tall Timbers.