Publication Date:
2018-03-06
Description:
Any wildfire generates ash, the solid residue derived from burning biomass. Vegetation fire ash consists of charred organic material, charcoal, and inorganic mineral substances. Recent studies identified ash deposits as a dual system: soil and ash strata. The addition of ash to the soil profile alters soil properties and dynamics. A thorough analysis of ash-soil profile reveals a structural appearance of thin laminas. The laminas differ in a variety of physical properties and mineral composition. This research aims at assessing the unique properties of ash-soil profiles by performing an infrared spectroscopic study and statistical analysis. For that purpose, several laboratory experiments were conducted. The paper presents semi-quantitative results of spectral analysis calculated by four statistical methods. The results indicate a well-established laminar structure of the ash and evaluate the characteristics of each lamina. The proposed methodology was examined under real-world conditions; a field experiment of 2 m 2 parcel with in-situ O horizon was flamed and burned-out. The field samples illustrated the formation of micro-laminas, which proved to be similar to the laboratory samples. This detailed approach may promote a better understanding of the complex nature to the ash, the ash-soil interactions and its effect on the edaphic ecosystem.
Print ISSN:
1085-3278
Electronic ISSN:
1099-145X
Topics:
Geography
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Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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