Skip to Main Content
-
Fuel reduction practices and their effects on soil quality
Author(s): Matt D. Busse; Ken R. Hubbert; Emily E. Y. Moghaddas
Date: 2014
Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-241. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 156 p.
Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
Station: Pacific Southwest Research Station
PDF: Download Publication (7.49 MB)Description
Soils sustain our terrestrial ecosystems, help fuel plant growth, and govern key ecosystem services such as the storage and provision of clean water, degradation of toxic compounds, and regulation of atmospheric gases. Preserving the integrity of soil thus is an earnest responsibility of land stewardship in the United States. This report provides a synthesis of soil chemical, biological, and physical responses to various prescribed fire and mechanical thinning practices and offers practical considerations for use in fuel reduction planning. A wide range of current topics, identified in a nationwide survey of natural resource managers, is discussed in detail: (1) ecological consequences of prescribed fire on soil heating, water repellency, and soil nitrogen release; (2) whole tree harvesting and nutrient removal; (3) soil compaction; (4) masticated fuel beds; (5) pile burning; (6) cumulative effects of fire and thinning; (7) coarse woody debris; and (8) soil in a changing climate. We submit that with thoughtful planning and implementation, reducing fuels while proactively managing our soils can be complementary outcomes.Publication Notes
- You may send email to psw_communications@fs.fed.us to request a hard copy of this publication.
- (Please specify exactly which publication you are requesting and your mailing address.)
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
Citation
Busse, M.D.; Hubbert, K.R.; Moghaddas, E.E. Y. 2014. Fuel reduction practices and their effects on soil quality. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-241. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 156 p.Cited
Keywords
Prescribed fire, mechanical thinning, compaction, soil fertility, soil productivity.Related Search
- Forest composition, fuel loading, and soil chemistry resulting from 50 years of forest management and natural disturbance in two southeastern Coastal Plain watersheds, USA
- The homeowner view of thinning methods for fire hazard reduction: more positive than many think
- Searing the rhizosphere: belowground impacts of prescribed fires.
XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/45914