Soil response in a Mediterranean forest ecosystem of Southeast Spain following early prescribed burning

The escalation of global warming, high temperatures, and wildfire frequency in dry ecosystems, including semi-arid landscapes, has resulted in increased wildfire regimes, compromising ecosystem resistance and resilience. To mitigate these risks, prescribed burning (PB) is being employed as a preventive measure to modify fuel loads in forest ecosystems. However, fire can also impact soil structure and microbiota, which play critical roles in nutrient cycling, biodiversity conservation, and overall ecosystem functioning. Therefore, understanding post-fire processes is essential for sustainable forest management. However, while previous studies have explored the effects of prescribed fire management on semi-arid soil properties in Mediterranean forest ecosystems, gaps remain in our understanding of its specific impact on the physical structure, chemical composition, and biological activities of soils. In this study, we conducted early spring PB in SE Spain in 2021 and assessed the ecological and temporal effects of PB on semi-arid soils. Soil respiration (SR) measurements using automatic CO₂ flow chambers were employed to evaluate microbiota recovery. To examine impacts on soil structure we evaluated physicochemical characteristics, soil hydraulic conductivity (SHC), and soil water repellency (SWR). No significant differences were observed in any of the variables studied after one year. However, immediate effects were detected shortly after the PB. Our research specifically targeted soil structure and microbiota in a semi-arid landscape with poor soils, characterized by slower recovery and potentially fragile ecosystems. These results provide valuable insights for forest management practices, indicating that prescribed fire management strategies in similar ecosystems are unlikely to cause adverse effects on soil health. However, further research is warranted to explore the potential effects of prescribed fire intensity and seasonality. Future studies can focus on investigating these factors to provide more targeted recommendations for effective forest management strategies and wildfire prevention efforts.