Mulching and seeding treatments for post-fire stabilization techniques in Laza (NW Spain): medium-term effects on soil quality and effectiveness

Trabajo presentado en la IV Reunión de Internacional de FUEGORED (Red Temática efectos de los incendios forestales sobre los suelos), celebrada en Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife (España), del 24 al 27 de octubre de 2012The impact of fire and different post-fire stabilisation treatments like mulching and seeding on some selected physical, chemical biochemical and microbiological properties as well as the efficacy of these treatments on control of post-fire erosion was evaluated in a burnt area affected by a high severity wildfire located in Laza (NW Spain). Soil samples were collected from the A horizon (0-2 cm) of the burnt soil 8 and 12 months after the wildfire as well as from the unburnt soil located in an adjacent plot used as control; sediments were periodically collected after precipitation events in the burnt soil with and without different post-fire stabilisation treatments. The results clearly showed that a significant medium-term impact of the wildfire on most soil properties analyzed was still observed 12 months after the fire event and that mulching and seeding treatments did not affect the overall soil quality (physical, chemical, biochemical and microbiological properties) of this burned soil. Sediments data indicated that both stabilisation treatments were effective to control post-fire erosion since, compared to the burnt control, soil losses were reduced by 85% in the mulching treatment and by 30% in the seeding treatment.This study was supported by the Consellería de Educación y Ordenación Universitaria de la Xunta de Galicia (08MRU002400PR) and by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (AGL2008-02823), Spain. The authors thank J. Benítez and M. Recarey for technical assistance. A. Barreiro and A. Lombao are recipients of FPU grants from Spanish Ministry of Education.Peer reviewe