The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities
Although Mediterranean ecosystems are adapted to fire disturbances, soils are prone to degradation. Therefore, post-fire forest management is a critical step for ecosystem recovery: it can either reduce soil degradation or add a new disturbance. Post-fire management in Mediterranean burnt forests in...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Spanish Journal of Soil Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/sjss.2023.11388/full |
| _version_ | 1797224729402146816 |
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| author | Minerva García-Carmona Fuensanta García-Orenes Victoria Arcenegui Jorge Mataix-Solera |
| author_facet | Minerva García-Carmona Fuensanta García-Orenes Victoria Arcenegui Jorge Mataix-Solera |
| author_sort | Minerva García-Carmona |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although Mediterranean ecosystems are adapted to fire disturbances, soils are prone to degradation. Therefore, post-fire forest management is a critical step for ecosystem recovery: it can either reduce soil degradation or add a new disturbance. Post-fire management in Mediterranean burnt forests includes interventions with contrasting approaches, including the management of burnt trees, soil protection, or practices devoted to ecosystem restoration via the improvement of components or processes in the affected ecosystem. The consequences of forest management on soils are complex, thereby, in the context of the intensification of fire events and climate change, understanding the response of key soil components in managed ecosystems is critical for prioritizing soil conservation. One interesting component in the early post-fire stages is moss biocrust. The rapid colonization of biocrust-forming mosses in early successional stages post-disturbance stabilizes soils in their most vulnerable period. However, it is completely unknown further implications as active agents in the recovery and resilience of soils, in the transient stage before vascular vegetation regrowth. In combination with the biocrust, the response of soil microbial communities to forest management is crucial for evaluating the soil recovery progress, given their active role in fundamental ecosystem functions. The additive consequences of fires and forest management on biocrust emergence or microbial composition and functionality are usually neglected in the investigation of post-fire systems, although of major relevance to support strategies to preserve soils against functionality loss. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:57:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-47770a66960e483f8800f284845e2f38 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2253-6574 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T13:57:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Spanish Journal of Soil Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-47770a66960e483f8800f284845e2f382024-04-03T15:56:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Spanish Journal of Soil Science2253-65742023-06-011310.3389/sjss.2023.1138811388The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial CommunitiesMinerva García-CarmonaFuensanta García-OrenesVictoria ArceneguiJorge Mataix-SoleraAlthough Mediterranean ecosystems are adapted to fire disturbances, soils are prone to degradation. Therefore, post-fire forest management is a critical step for ecosystem recovery: it can either reduce soil degradation or add a new disturbance. Post-fire management in Mediterranean burnt forests includes interventions with contrasting approaches, including the management of burnt trees, soil protection, or practices devoted to ecosystem restoration via the improvement of components or processes in the affected ecosystem. The consequences of forest management on soils are complex, thereby, in the context of the intensification of fire events and climate change, understanding the response of key soil components in managed ecosystems is critical for prioritizing soil conservation. One interesting component in the early post-fire stages is moss biocrust. The rapid colonization of biocrust-forming mosses in early successional stages post-disturbance stabilizes soils in their most vulnerable period. However, it is completely unknown further implications as active agents in the recovery and resilience of soils, in the transient stage before vascular vegetation regrowth. In combination with the biocrust, the response of soil microbial communities to forest management is crucial for evaluating the soil recovery progress, given their active role in fundamental ecosystem functions. The additive consequences of fires and forest management on biocrust emergence or microbial composition and functionality are usually neglected in the investigation of post-fire systems, although of major relevance to support strategies to preserve soils against functionality loss.https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/sjss.2023.11388/fullbiological soil crustburnt woodMediterraneanmicrobial communitymoss |
| spellingShingle | Minerva García-Carmona Fuensanta García-Orenes Victoria Arcenegui Jorge Mataix-Solera The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities Spanish Journal of Soil Science biological soil crust burnt wood Mediterranean microbial community moss |
| title | The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_full | The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_fullStr | The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_short | The Recovery of Mediterranean Soils After Post-Fire Management: The Role of Biocrusts and Soil Microbial Communities |
| title_sort | recovery of mediterranean soils after post fire management the role of biocrusts and soil microbial communities |
| topic | biological soil crust burnt wood Mediterranean microbial community moss |
| url | https://www.frontierspartnerships.org/articles/10.3389/sjss.2023.11388/full |
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