Summary
The attention paid to soil water repellency by the scientific community has increased considerably during recent years. This interest has increased especially in the case of fire-affected soils in areas where water is considered a limiting factor for plants, such as in semi-arid and sub-humid areas.
The HYDFIRE project continues one of the research lines from both involved research groups in order to get a deep knowledge of fire-affected soils, water repellency and its implications. The main goal of this project is the study of the temporal evolution of soil water repellency as a function of other environmental factors in burned areas, its implications for water availability and soil system functioning, the hydrological response of soils, and the restoration of vegetation. Another objective is to study the role played by ashes in soil water repellency after fire, hydrological aspects and vegetation. The proposal includes the study of two fire-affected areas for analysis under field conditions and complementary laboratory experiments and studies.
Our intention is also to advance methodologies developed by the GEA group (UMH) for the determination of fire severity by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), as it is a key factor in changes in water repellency and many other soil properties. In this case, it is very important to determinate soil temperature peaks during burning and the length of residence of these temperatures. As in the case of water repellency, the study of temperature dynamics under natural conditions still presents many methodological gaps. This project should therefore be a great help in this area of study.
The HYDFIRE project continues one of the research lines from both involved research groups in order to get a deep knowledge of fire-affected soils, water repellency and its implications. The main goal of this project is the study of the temporal evolution of soil water repellency as a function of other environmental factors in burned areas, its implications for water availability and soil system functioning, the hydrological response of soils, and the restoration of vegetation. Another objective is to study the role played by ashes in soil water repellency after fire, hydrological aspects and vegetation. The proposal includes the study of two fire-affected areas for analysis under field conditions and complementary laboratory experiments and studies.
Our intention is also to advance methodologies developed by the GEA group (UMH) for the determination of fire severity by near infrared spectroscopy (NIR), as it is a key factor in changes in water repellency and many other soil properties. In this case, it is very important to determinate soil temperature peaks during burning and the length of residence of these temperatures. As in the case of water repellency, the study of temperature dynamics under natural conditions still presents many methodological gaps. This project should therefore be a great help in this area of study.