Red but not dead: examining microbial and plant recovery in severely burned soils

Abstract

Soil exposed to prolonged intense heat during a wildfire turns a distinctive red color. The heat volatilizes soil nutrients and kills subterranean microbial communities. Patches of severely burned red soil are found most frequently in areas that were heavily covered with down, dead wood before the fire. It has long been thought that exposure to such heat sterilized soil, leaving it more susceptible to invasion by nonnative plant species than less severely burned soils.

based on science by Jane Smith and Cassie Hebel.

Citation

Oliver, Marie; Smith, Jane; Hebel, Cassie. 2010. Red but not dead: examining microbial and plant recovery in severely burned soils. Science Findings 124. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 5 p.