Fluctuations in soil nutrients and physico-chemical properties following controlled fire in North-Western Himalayas

Abstract

Controlled fire effect on nutrients and physico-chemical properties of soil was investigated after a span of one year of controlled fire under four land uses viz. chir pine forest (Pinus roxburghii), grassland, scrubland and non-fire site in chir pine (control). In March 2018, a controlled fire was caused, and soil samples were taken after one year of burning at different soil depths (viz. 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-15 cm). The experiment consisted of five replications in factorial randomized block design. The results revealed that in comparison to pre-fire assessment, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium slightly increased, whereas, soil organic carbon decreased slightly in post-fire assessment. The soil pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density and soil texture did not show any significant change after one year of burning. The study concludes that controlled fire did not cause any drastic fluctuations in nutrients and physico-chemical properties of soil and can be used as an effective management practice for combating the negative effects of wildfire on soil.

Keywords

• Chir pine forest
• Controlled fire
• Grassland
• Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Scrubland