Surface runoff and soil loss after fire and post-fire treatments in forests of Castilla-La Mancha: a meta-analysis on a 10-year database
Abstract
Aim of the study: A meta-analysis was applied to evaluate surface runoff and soil loss after fires of different severity and post-fire treatments in semi-arid forests of Central Eastern Spain.
Area of study: Four sites (Lezuza, Agramón, Liétor and Ayna) were identified in Castilla-La Mancha and were monitored throughout 10 years at the plot and event scale.
Material and methods: Rainfall simulations and observations after natural rainfalls were carried out to measure surface runoff and soil loss in unburned sites, burned and untreated sites, and burned sites treated with post-fire management techniques. The log response ratio of runoff and soil loss was calculated at the same site in order to evaluate the hydrological response to fire and post-fire management.
Main results: The meta-analysis has shown: (i) prescribed fires do not noticeably increase runoff, while wildfires at every severity is able to trigger erosion, except in the case of low-severity fires and less intense rainfall; (ii) runoff generation capacity of burned soils is higher after moderate rainfalls; (iii) fire changed soil erodibility according to rainfall intensity between unburned and burned soils; (iv) in general, the evaluated treatments were not effective at reducing surface runoff (except for mulching using wood chips and manual logging); (v) in contrast, soil erosion under burned conditions decreased after almost all techniques, especially with mulching using Loranthus europaeus J. and wheat straw; (vi) the mulch made of the latter substrate (combined with manual logging or not) seems to be the most feasible post-fire anti-erosive action.
Research highlights: Forest managers should prioritise areas potentially affected by high-severity wildfires for fire prevention. The most effective post-fire management technique is mulching, using wheat straw and wood chips to mitigate soil erosion and surface runoff, respectively.
Downloads
References
Alcañiz M, Outeiro L, Francos M, Úbeda X, 2018. Effects of prescribed fires on soil properties: A review. Science of the Total Environment 613: 944–957. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.022
Almendros G, González-Vila FJ, 2014. Wildfires, soil carbon balance and resilient organic matter in Mediterranean ecosystems. A review. Spanish Journal of Soil Science 2: 153. https://doi.org/10.3232/SJSS.2012.V2.N2.01
Bazzoffi P, 2009. Soil erosion tolerance and water runoff control: minimum environmental standards. Regional Environmental Change 9: 169–179. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-008-0072-2
Bodí MB, Cerdà A, Mataix-Solera J, Doerr SH, 2012. A review of fire effects on vegetation and soil in the Mediterranean Basin. Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles 58: 291–310. https://doi.org/10.21138/bage.1704
Bombino G, Denisi P, Gómez JA, Zema DA, 2019. Water infiltration and surface runoff in steep clayey soils of olive groves under different management practices. Water 11: 240. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020240
Borja MEL, Zema DA, 2024. Delayed application of straw mulching increases soil erosion in Mediterranean pine forests burned by wildfires. Catena 236: 107714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.107714
Carrà BG, Bombino G, Denisi P, Plaza-Àlvarez PA, Lucas-Borja ME, Zema DA, 2021. Water infiltration after prescribed fire and soil mulching with fern in Mediterranean forests. Hydrology 8: 95. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8020095
Carrà BG, Bombino G, Lucas-Borja ME, Plaza-Alvarez PA, D’Agostino D, Zema DA, 2022. Prescribed fire and soil mulching with fern in Mediterranean forests: Effects on surface runoff and erosion. Ecological Engineering 176: 106537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2022.106537
Cawson JG, Sheridan GJ, Smith HG, Lane PNJ, 2012. Surface runoff and erosion after prescribed burning and the effect of different fire regimes in forests and shrublands: a review. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21: 857–872. https://doi.org/10.1071/WF11116
Cochran WG, 1954. The combination of estimates from different experiments. Biometrics 10: 101–129. https://doi.org/10.2307/3001666
Curtis PS, Wang X, 1998. A meta-analysis of elevated CO₂ effects on woody plant mass, form, and physiology. Oecologia 113: 299–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004420050381
de Pagter T, Lucas-Borja ME, Navidi M, Carra BG, Baartman J, Zema DA, 2023. Effects of wildfire and post-fire salvage logging on rainsplash erosion in a semi-arid pine forest of Central Eastern Spain. Journal of Environmental Management 329: 117059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117059
Díaz MG, Lucas-Borja ME, Gonzalez-Romero J, Plaza-Alvarez PA, Navidi M, Liu YF, et al, 2022. Effects of post-fire mulching with straw and wood chips on soil hydrology in pine forests under Mediterranean conditions. Ecological Engineering 182: 106720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2022.106720
Fernández-Raga M, Gutiérrez EG, Keesstra SD, Tárrega R, Nunes JP, Marcos E, et al, 2021. Determining the potential impacts of fire and different land uses on splash erosion in the margins of drylands. Journal of Arid Environments 186: 104419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2020.104419
Francos M, Pereira P, Alcañiz M, Úbeda X, 2018. Post-wildfire management effects on short-term evolution of soil properties (Catalonia, Spain, SW-Europe). Science of the Total Environment 633: 285–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.195
Francos M, Úbeda X, Pereira P, 2019. Impact of torrential rainfall and salvage logging on post-wildfire soil properties in NE Iberian Peninsula. Catena 177: 210–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.02.016
Girona-García A, Vieira DCS, Silva J, Fernández C, Robichaud PR, Keizer JJ, 2021. Effectiveness of post-fire soil erosion mitigation treatments: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Earth-Science Reviews 217: 103611. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103611
González-Pelayo O, Prats SA, Vieira AMD, Vieira DCS, Maia P, Keizer JJ, 2023. Impacts of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) straw mulch on post-fire soil erosion and ground vegetation recovery in a strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.) stand. Ecological Engineering 195: 107074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107074
Gonzalez‐Romero J, Zema DA, Carrà BG, Neris J, Fajardo A, Plaza‐Álvarez PA, et al, 2023. Soil erosion modelling of burned and mulched soils following a Mediterranean forest wildfire. Soil Use and Management 39: 881–899. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12884
Hedges LV, Gurevitch J, Curtis PS, 1999. The meta-analysis of response ratios in experimental ecology. Ecology 80: 1150–1156. https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1999)080[1150:TMAORR]2.0.CO;2
Hlavčová K, Danáčová M, Kohnová S, Szolgay J, Valent P, Výleta R, 2019. Estimating the effectiveness of crop management on reducing flood risk and sediment transport on hilly agricultural land – A Myjava case study, Slovakia. Catena 172: 678–690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.09.027
Iserloh T, Ries JB, Arnáez J, Boix-Fayos C, Butzen V, Cerdà A, et al, 2013. European small portable rainfall simulators: A comparison of rainfall characteristics. Catena 110: 100–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2013.06.002
Kalies EL, Chambers CL, Covington WW, 2010. Wildlife responses to thinning and burning treatments in southwestern conifer forests: a meta-analysis. Forest Ecology and Management 259: 333–342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.10.021
Kottek M, Grieser J, Beck C, Rudolf B, Rubel F, 2006. World map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. Meteorologische Zeitschrift 15: 259–263. https://doi.org/10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130
Lajeunesse MJ, 2015. Bias and correction for the log response ratio in ecological meta-analysis. Ecology 96: 2056–2063. https://doi.org/10.1890/14-2402.1
Lopes AR, Prats SA, Silva FC, Keizer JJ, 2020. Effects of ploughing and mulching on soil and organic matter losses after a wildfire in Central Portugal. Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica 303–318. https://doi.org/10.18172/cig.4623
Lucas-Borja ME, de las Heras J, Moya Navarro D, González-Romero J, Peña-Molina E, Navidi M, et al, 2022a. Short-term effects of prescribed fires with different severity on rainsplash erosion and physico-chemical properties of surface soil in Mediterranean forests. Journal of Environmental Management 322: 116143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116143
Lucas-Borja ME, González-Romero J, Plaza-Álvarez PA, Sagra J, Gómez ME, Moya D, et al, 2019a. The impact of straw mulching and salvage logging on post-fire runoff and soil erosion generation under Mediterranean climate conditions. Science of the Total Environment 654: 441–451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.161
Lucas-Borja ME, Parhizkar M, Zema DA, 2021. Short-Term Changes in Erosion Dynamics and Quality of Soils Affected by a Wildfire and Mulched with Straw in a Mediterranean Forest. Soil Systems 5: 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems5030040
Lucas-Borja ME, Plaza-Álvarez PA, Gonzalez-Romero J, Sagra J, Alfaro-Sánchez R, Zema DA, et al, 2019b. Short-term effects of prescribed burning in Mediterranean pine plantations on surface runoff, soil erosion and water quality of runoff. Science of the Total Environment 674: 615–622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.144
Lucas-Borja ME, Plaza-Àlvarez PA, Uddin SM, Parhizkar M, Zema DA, 2022b. Short-term hydrological response of soil after wildfire in a semi-arid landscape covered by Macrochloa tenacissima (L.) Kunth. Journal of Arid Environments 198: 104702. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104702
Lucas-Borja ME, Zema DA, Fernández C, Soria R, Miralles I, Santana VM, et al, 2022c. Limited contribution of post-fire eco-engineering techniques to support post-fire plant diversity. Science of the Total Environment 815: 152894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.152894
Moody JA, Shakesby RA, Robichaud PR, Cannon SH, Martin DA, 2013. Current research issues related to post-wildfire runoff and erosion processes. Earth-Science Reviews 122: 10–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2013.04.004
Navidi M, Shafiei AB, Alijanpour A, Pirsa S, Ahmady-Birgani H, Lucas-Borja ME, et al, 2023. Effects of Post-Fire Mulching with Loranthus europaeus Jacq. on Surface Runoff and Rainsplash Erosion in a Semi-Arid Pine Forest. Resources 12: 31. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12030031
Parson A, Robichaud PR, Lewis SA, Napper C, Clark JT, 2010. Field guide for mapping post-fire soil burn severity. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ft. Collins, CO. RMRS-GTR-243. https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-243
Pereira P, Francos M, Brevik EC, Ubeda X, Bogunovic I, 2018. Post-fire soil management. Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health 5: 26–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coesh.2018.04.002
Plaza‐Álvarez PA, Lucas‐Borja ME, Carmona‐Yáñez MD, Candel‐Pérez D, Zema DA, 2024. Mid‐term effects of postfire mulching with straw or wood chips on soil erosion in semi‐arid forests. Land Degradation & Development 35: e2953. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.2953
Shakesby RA, 2011. Post-wildfire soil erosion in the Mediterranean: review and future research directions. Earth-Science Reviews 105: 71–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2011.01.001
Stoof CR, Ferreira AJ, Mol W, Van den Berg J, De Kort A, Drooger S, et al, 2015. Soil surface changes increase runoff and erosion risk after a low–moderate severity fire. Geoderma 239: 58–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.10.007
Viechtbauer W, 2010. Conducting meta-analyses in R with the metafor package. Journal of Statistical Software 36: 1–48. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v036.i03
Vieira DCS, Fernández C, Vega JA, Keizer JJ, 2015. Does soil burn severity affect the post-fire runoff and interrill erosion response? A review based on meta-analysis of field rainfall simulation data. Journal of Hydrology 523: 452–464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.01.071
Wischmeier WH, Smith DD, 1978. Predicting rainfall erosion losses: a guide to conservation planning. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration. Agricultural Handbook 537.
Zema DA, Carrà BG, Lucas-Borja ME, 2022. Exploring and modeling the short-term influence of soil properties and covers on hydrology of Mediterranean forests after prescribed fire and mulching. Hydrology 9: 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology9020021
Zema DA, Lucas‐Borja ME, 2023. Effects of prescribed fire on the post‐fire hydrological processes in agro‐forest ecosystems: A systematic review and a meta‐analysis. Hydrological Processes 37: e14957. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.14957
Copyright (c) 2025 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
© CSIC. Manuscripts published in both the print and online versions of this journal are the property of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, and quoting this source is a requirement for any partial or full reproduction.
All contents of this electronic edition, except where otherwise noted, are distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. You may read the basic information and the legal text of the licence. The indication of the CC BY 4.0 licence must be expressly stated in this way when necessary.
Self-archiving in repositories, personal webpages or similar, of any version other than the final version of the work produced by the publisher, is not allowed.
