Nutrient changes in surface soils after an intense fire in jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm.) forest

The effects of an intense fire on the nutrient status of jarrah(Eucalyptus marginata Donn ex Sm.) forest soils were investigated. At seven experimental sites, representing a range of soil and vegetation types, surface soils were sampled to a maximum depth of 20 cm before, immediately after, and 1 year after the fire. Immediately after the fire, concentrations of total and extracted nutrients in surface (0–3 cm) soils increased markedly. One year later, concentrations of extracted nutrients in surface soils had returned to levels close to pre-burn concentrations. During this period, some properties of sub-surface (3–20 cm) soils also changed: Bray-extractable phosphorus and electrolytic conductivity decreased, whereas ex-tractable potassium and pH increased relative to pre-burn concentrations. Initial increases in concentrations of extractable forms of nutrients were determined largely by the amounts of nutrients deposited in fine ash, whereas the changes after 1 year depended more on the leaching of ions and their reactions with the mineral soil. Increases in total amounts of major nutrients in surface soils arising from additions of fine ash were generally well correlated with amounts in pre-burn litter and with amounts in the components of organic matter likely to be consumed in the fire. Significant quantities of all nutrients are redistributed from aboveground sources to the soil surface during intense fires, including nutrients which are most susceptible to losses through volatilization. This redistribution of nutrients is discussed in relation to short-term and long-term effects on plant growth and functioning of the jarrah ecosystem.

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