Document Type
Article
Publication Date
7-30-2020
Department
College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Abstract
Severe wildfire can affect many soil processes, especially organic matter (OM) decomposition. Organic mulches are often applied on steep slopes to mitigate soil erosion, but little is known about how these surface organic additions affect subsequent soil OM decomposition. In 2003 the Cedar Fire burned 110,000 ha in southern California chaparral shrubland, after which hydromulch was aerially applied to reduce soil erosion. Subsequently, we established a 5-year study to assess the effect of hydromulch on OM decomposition at the burned soil surface and in the mineral soil using aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and pine (Pinus taeda L.) wood stakes as standard substrates. Mass loss of both aspen and pine stakes in this dry Mediterranean ecosystem was lowest on the soil surface and increased with mineral soil depth. Decomposition was less in the hydromulched soil than in the untreated control, but the large loss of hydromulch from the soil surface within the first year after application make this result questionable. Subsequent analysis showed that subterranean termites had a major role in wood decomposition, but their variable activity in study replicates confounded the separation of hydromulch impacts on decomposition from other soil variables. Little is known on the role of termites in OM decomposition after wildfire, and they should be considered when designing studies in soils where termites are present. Our study results suggest that termite activity in mineral soil could also be a factor in root decomposition after a fire and affect soil stability on steep slopes.
Publication Title
Frontiers in Forests and Global Change
Recommended Citation
Jurgensen, M.,
Miller, C.,
&
Page-Dumroese, D.
(2020).
Wood Decomposition After an Aerial Application of Hydromulch Following Wildfire in a Southern California Chaparral Shrubland.
Frontiers in Forests and Global Change,
3.
http://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00093
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/15143
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publisher's Statement
© 2020 Jurgensen, Miller and Page-Dumroese. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00093