Effects of soil heating changes on soil hydraulic properties in Central Chile

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGiraldo, Carolina V.
dc.contributor.authorAcevedo, Sara E.
dc.contributor.authorContreras, Cristina P.
dc.contributor.authorSantibanez, Fernando
dc.contributor.authorSaez, Esteban
dc.contributor.authorCalderon, Francisco J.
dc.contributor.authorBonilla, Carlos A.
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-20T16:09:37Z
dc.date.available2025-01-20T16:09:37Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractWildfires are natural phenomena for most ecosystems on Earth. Many soil properties are impacted by fire, including soil hydraulic properties. We used a laboratory experiment to replicate the temperatures reached by a natural wildfire and documented the effects on soil hydraulic properties. This study hypothesizes that the impact of heating on soil hydrological properties can be explained by the interaction of a number of variables especially organic matter content (OM), cation exchange capacity (CEC), texture, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC). The main objective of this study is to explore the interconnections between soil hydraulic, chemical, and physical properties, focusing on understanding how these relationships change across different ecoregions and temperatures. Sixteen soils were collected across 16 sites susceptible to forest fires in the Central Zone of Chile and heated to 100 degrees C and 300 degrees C for two hours. These sites were representative of two distinct ecoregions: the Chilean Matorral (CM) and the Valdivian Temperate Forests (VTF). Chemical, physical, and hydraulic soil properties were measured before and after heating. At 100 degrees C, there were no significant changes in chemical, physical, or hydraulic soil properties. At 300 degrees C, significant changes were observed in most soil properties in soils from both ecoregions. The OM content and CEC decreased, whereas pH and electrical conductivity increased. In addition, clay content and water aggregate stability (WSA) decreased, while all hydraulic properties increased their values. The aforementioned results demonstrate that infiltration increased after the soil was heated. This can be attributed primarily to decreases in clay content. At the same time, the water repellency (R) index decreased, allowing water to more easily wet the soil particles. Correlations revealed that CEC and clay are the main factors ruling soil hydraulic properties at all temperatures. Clay mineralogy also contributes to the soil hydraulic behavior observed. Nonlinear models were developed to estimate hydraulic properties at 100 degrees C and 300 degrees C, using the main soil properties. The models illustrated that the soils of the CM ecoregion, which are characterized by lower OM and influence of clay/CEC ratio, would be less affected by fire compared to the soils of VTF. The water holding capacity would decrease in both ecoregions. However, due to the greater changes in OM and clay in VTF, the impact would be greater than in CM.1
dc.description.funderNational Agency for Research and Development, Chile
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117013
dc.identifier.eissn1872-6259
dc.identifier.issn0016-7061
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117013
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/90161
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:001304314100001
dc.language.isoen
dc.revistaGeoderma
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectCation exchange capacity
dc.subjectHeated soils
dc.subjectOrganic matter
dc.subjectWildfire
dc.subject.ods02 Zero Hunger
dc.subject.ods15 Life on Land
dc.subject.ods14 Life Below Water
dc.subject.odspa02 Hambre cero
dc.subject.odspa15 Vida de ecosistemas terrestres
dc.subject.odspa14 Vida submarina
dc.titleEffects of soil heating changes on soil hydraulic properties in Central Chile
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen449
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
Files
Collections
Artículos de revistas