Escorrentía y erosión del suelo después del fuego y tratamientos post-fuego en ecosistemas forestales de Castilla La Mancha: Análisis de una base de datos de 10 años
Resumen
Objetivo del estudio: Se aplicó un meta-análisis para evaluar la escorrentía superficial y la pérdida de suelo tras incendios de diferente severidad y tratamientos post-incendio en ecosistemas forestales semiáridos del centro-este de España.
Área de estudio: Se identificaron cuatro lugares (Lezuza, Agramón, Liétor y Ayna) en Castilla-La Mancha, y se monitorizaron la escorrentía y erosión a lo largo de 10 años a escala de parcela y de evento.
Materiales y métodos: Se realizaron simulaciones de precipitación y observaciones directas tras precipitaciones naturales, midiendo la escorrentía superficial y la pérdida de suelo en sitios no quemados, quemados y no tratados, y quemados tratados con técnicas de gestión post-incendio. Se calculó la relación de respuesta logarítmica de la escorrentía y la pérdida de suelo en el mismo sitio con el fin de evaluar la respuesta hidrológica al fuego y a la gestión post-incendio. Principales resultados: El meta-análisis ha mostrado los siguientes resultados: (i) Las quemas prescritas no aumentan notablemente la escorrentía, mientras que los incendios forestales de cualquier severidad son capaces de desencadenar procesos de erosión, excepto en el caso de incendios de baja severidad y precipitaciones menos intensas; (ii) la capacidad de generación de escorrentía de los suelos quemados es mayor tras precipitaciones moderadas; (iii) el fuego y la intensidad de precipitación cambian la erodibilidad del suelo cuando se comparan zonas no quemadas y los quemadas; (iv) en general, los tratamientos evaluados no fueron eficaces para reducir la escorrentía superficial (excepto el acolchado con astillas de madera y la corta de madera de manera manual); (v) por el contrario, la erosión del suelo quemado disminuyó tras casi todas las técnicas, especialmente con el mulching con Loranthus europaeus J. y paja de trigo; (vi) el mulching realizado con este último sustrato (combinado o no con la corta de arbolado manual) parece ser la acción antierosiva post-incendio más factible.
Aspectos destacados de la investigación: Los gestores forestales deben priorizar las actuaciones en zonas potencialmente afectadas por incendios con alta severidad. Dentro de las técnicas de gestión postincendio, el mulching es el más eficaz, ya sea con paja de cultivos agrícolas o astillas para controlar respectivamente la erosión del suelo y la escorrentía superficial.
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