Influence of straw mulch application on the properties of a soil affected by a forest wildfire
Authors: Lombao Alba , Díaz Raviña Montserrat , Martín Ángela , Barreiro Ana , Fontúrbel María Teresa , Vega José Antonio , Fernández Cristina , Carballas Tarsy 
Published: September 2021

Mulching treatment is often recommended <ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:22">in order </ins>to reduce post-fire erosion and sediment<del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:45"></del> yields<ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:45">,</ins> but information concerning their effects on soil properties and hence on soil quality is scarce. In the present investigation<ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:22">,</ins> the influence of straw application on soil quality was evaluated <ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:22">on</ins><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:22"></del><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46"> </del>hillslope shrubland <del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46"></del>in Saviñao (Lugo, NW Spain)<ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:47"> </ins><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:47"></del><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46"></del><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46">th</ins><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:02">a</ins><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46">t is </ins>susceptible to <del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:46"></del>post-fire erosion (38% slope). In this area, <ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:04">which was </ins>affected by a medium-high severity wildfire in September 2012, different treatments with wheat straw <ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:03">were </ins>applied to the burnt soil in mulch strips (0.8 and 1 Mg ha<sup>-1</sup>) <del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:03"></del><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:50"></del><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:50">using </ins>quadruplicate <ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:51">10 m x 40 m </ins><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:49">plots </ins><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:51"></del><del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:49"></del>and compared with the corresponding burnt untreated control. Soil samples were collected from the A horizon (0-2.5 cm depth) at different sampling times <del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T17:15"></del><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T17:15">for 12 months</ins> after the wildfire<del cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T16:03"></del><ins cite="mailto:Michele%20Francis" datetime="2015-01-23T15:48">,</ins> and a wide range of physicochemical, chemical and biochemical soil properties (water retention, pH, electric conductivity, total C, <sup>13</sup>C, extractable C, water soluble C, soluble carbohydrates, total N, <sup>15</sup>N, microbial biomass C, soil respiration, bacterial activity, b-glucosidase, urease and phosphatase activities) were analyzed. The results showed that the application of straw mulch had a minor influence on the post-fire soil quality but, in contrast, the sampling time showed a significant influence attributed to short- and medium term changes in soil properties induced by both fire and climatic conditions.