Impact of forest fire on soil quality and resilience potential: A review

Abstract

The incidences and intensity of impairment by forest fire has substantially increased in past few decades owing to the increased population and subsequent human interference. It poses comprehensive adverse ecological, economic and social implications due to its detrimental consequences on forest ecosystem, ranging from direct destruction of trees to undesirable effect on forest regeneration, microclimate, soil properties, erosion and biodiversity etc. The sustainability of a forest system depends upon a range of aspects, of which soil quality is one of the key factors. Several studies have reported the effect of forest fire on soil chemical, physical and biological characters suggesting a sharp transformation in soil functioning after the devastation. Fire imparts significant alterations in chemical, physical and biological properties of soil, which generally impacts the future productivity and sustainability of a soil ecosystem.