Progress 07/01/07 to 06/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We have presented the results of this study in several meetings over the last two years, including national/internation and local: Johnson, D. W. , Walker, R. F., Rollins, K. S., Miller, W. W., Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, "Prescribed fire in Sierra Nevada forests: is biomass for energy a better alternative", Both Invited and Accepted, American Society of Agronomy, Long Beach, CA. (November 2, 2010). Johnson, B. G., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Academic, "The Effect of Slash Pile Burning On Macro- and Micronutrient Behavior in the Soils of Little Valley, NV", Accepted, Soil Science Society of America, Pittsburgh, PA. (November 2009). Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Walker, R. F., Murphy, J. D., Johnson, B. G., Stein, C. M.), USFS Pacific Southwest Region 2009 Annual Soils Meeting, Academic, "Fire effects on soils, water quality, and ecosystem nutrient budgets", Invited, US Forest Service, Redding, CA. (October 2009). Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Walker, R. F., Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting, Academic, "Effects of fire on N budgets in Sierran forests", Invited, Ecological Society of America, Albuquerque, NM. (August 2009). Berger, B. R., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Wildfires and Invasive Plants in American Deserts, Academic, "The effects of slash pile burning on soils of Little Valley, Nevada", Accepted, Society for Range Management, BLM, Reno, NV. (December 9, 2008). Berger, B. R., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting, Academic, "The effects of slash pile burning on soils of Little Valley, Nevada", Accepted, Society of American Foresters, Reno, NV. (November 6, 2008). Johnson, D. W., 29th Annual Forest Vegetation Management Conference, Non-Academic, "Carbon cycle and the role of forestry", Both Invited and Accepted, US Forest Service, Redding, CA. (January 16, 2008). PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Wally Miller, Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno Dr. Robert Blank, Agricultural Resources Service, Reno, NV TARGET AUDIENCES: Scientific community Forest managers Tahoe Regional Planning Agency PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
When slash piles are used for fire and ecosystem management, concerns arise over the effects of prolonged, severe burning on soil fertility and water quality. This study examines soil macronutrient, runoff, and soil solution responses to intense burning under slash piles in two locations (Upland and Meadow) in Little Valley, located in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Nevada. Slash piles in Upland and Meadow sites were instrumented post-burn with ceramic cup lysimeters, runoff collectors, and resin stakes (PRSTM probes) along transects from pile centers to unburned areas. Ash and soil samples also were also collected. The pH levels and concentrations of most nutrients were highest in the centers of the piles. Larger piles had decreased levels of total carbon and total nitrogen in the pile centers which is indicative of high burn temperatures and volatilization while smaller piles did not display this trend. There also were differences between Meadow and non-Meadow systems including higher NO3- and lower SO42- amounts in the Meadow areas. Soil solution data indicated that peak concentrations exceeded EPA water quality standards for both NO2--N and NO3--N at all three sites and were 2.5 to 3 times the standards in two sites. Runoff solution peak concentrations also exceeded the standards but only in the Meadow site. Our data indicates that slash pile burning has significant effects on soil chemistry and water quality, particularly for N and P. Sizes of slash piles must be properly monitored in order to assure continued soil fertility.
Publications
- Stein, C. M., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Powers, R. F., Young, D. A., Glass, D. S. (2010). Snowbrush (Ceanothus velutinus Dougl) Effects on Soil Leaching and Water Quality in a Sierran Ecosystem. Ecohydrology, 3, 79-87.
- Miller, W. W., Johnson, D. W., Karam, S. L., Walker, R. F., Weisberg, P. J. (2010). A synthesis of Sierran forest biomass management studies and potential effects on water quality. Forests, 1, 131-153.
- Johnson, B. G., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Carroll-Moore, E. M., Board, D. I. 2011. The Effects of Slash Pile Burning on Soil and Water Macronutrients. Soil Science.(in review)
- Johnson, B.G. 2010. Fire Effects on Soil and Water Quality in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Great Basin Ecosystems: Emphasis on Nitrogen. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Hydrology, University of Nevada, Reno.
- Johnson, D. W., Murphy, J. D., Rau, B. M., Miller, W. W. 2011. Subsurface Carbon Contents: Some Case Studies in Forest Soils. Forest Science (in press).
- Johnson, D. W. 2010. Soil Quality: Some Basic Considerations and Case Studies. In Page-Dumrose, D., D. Neary, C. Trettin (Ed.), Scientific Background for Soil Monitoring on National Forests and Rangelands (pp. 1-12). Ft Collins, CO: US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Proceedings RMRS-P-59.
|
Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The results of this project have been disseminated in many presentations to national society meetings (Society of American Foresters, Soil Science Society of America) as well as local presentations such as the College Field day, during which students and faculty present some of their results by way of posters to the public (including land managers who attend). As Brittany Johnson, the main graduate student on this project, finishes up her MS thesis in January, we will submit her papers to journals for publication. PARTICIPANTS: W.W. Miller oversaw the collection of runoff waters for the water quality component of this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Soil Scientists Foresters involved with fire mitigation techniques Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Lahonton Water Quality Board PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The initial goal of this project was to compare slash pile burning with broadcast burning. However, fire bosses from Nevada Division of Forestry concluded that broadcast burning was not appropriate for the site in question (Little Valley Nevada), and thus no broadcast burning was performed and this component remains to be studied if and when broadcast burning is deemed acceptable at the site.
Impacts
When slash piles are used for fire and ecosystem management, concerns arise over the effects of prolonged, severe burning on soil fertility and water quality. This study was divided into two main tasks: 1) field studies, indluding measurements of soil chemistry and water quality from burned slash piles, and 2) a laboratory column study, in which ash from the field site was added to both burned and unburned soils to determine the relative effects of soil heating vs ash inputs on water eluent chemisty. The field study examined soil macronutrient concentration responses to intense burning as well as water quality and nutrient levels in runoff, snowmelt and soil solution over the winter season. Slash piles were instrumented post-burn with ceramic cup lysimeters, runoff collectors, resin lysimeters, resin stakes and snowmelt collectors. Ash and soil samples also were collected. There were statistically significant (p≤0.05) differences between burned pile and non-pile (unburned) locations. The pH level and concentrations of most nutrients, including total mineral nitrogen (NO3- + NH4+) and sulfate, were highest in the center of the piles. Larger piles had decreased levels of total carbon and total nitrogen in the pile centers which is indicative of high burn temperatures and volatilization while smaller piles did not display this trend. There also were differences between riparian and non-riparian systems including higher NO3- and lower SO42- amounts in the meadow areas. Our data indicates that slash pile burning has significant effects on soil chemistry. Sizes of slash piles must be properly monitored in order to assure continued soil fertility. A laboratory study was performed to test the effects of burning on soil solutions under more controlled conditions. Soils from beneath slash piles that had been burned in the field as well as soils not burned were amended with varying ratios of ash:soil, ranging from pure ash and pure soil and leached with distilled water. Results showed that a large input of nutrients, particularly potassium and nitrogen species, were released from the ash into soil leachate. In most cases, ash input dominated the observed effects, but in the case of NH4+, the burned soil the main source. Calcium, Mg2+ and PO43--P showed signs of being more responsive to soil chemical processes (displacement of native soil ions, dissolution, adsorption and precipitation) than to the ash incorporation.
Publications
- Johnson, B. G., Johnson, D. W.,, Miller, W. W. 2009. "The Effect of Slash Pile Burning On Macro- and Micronutrient Behavior in the Soils of Little Valley, NV", Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA. November 2-5, 2009. (Abstract)
- Johnson, B.G., Johnson, D.W., Miller, W.W., and Carroll, E. 2010. The Effects of Slash Pile Burning on Soil and Water Macronutrients. Soil Science Society of America, Journal (pending).
- Johnson, B.G., and Johnson, D.W. 2010. The Effects of Ash Incorporation on Soil Leachate: A Laboratory Column Study. Soil Science Society of America, Journal (pending)
- Caldwell, T. G., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Qualls, R. G., Blank, R. R. 2009. Prescription fire and anion retention in Tahoe forest soils. Soil Science, 174, 594-600.
- Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W., Susfalk, R. B., Dahlgren, R. A., Murphy, J. D., Glass, D. W. 2009. Biogeochemical Cycling in Forest Soils of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 258, 2249-2260.
|
Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: We have measured changes in soil and soil solution chemistry in transects radiating from the centers of eight slash burn piles during the second year after burning. Measurements have included total C, total N, extractable NH4 and NO3, exchangeable Ca, K, Mg, and Na; extractable P, and extractable Zn, B, Cu, and Fe in soils; NH4, NO3, Ca, K, Mg, Na; ortho-P, Zn, B, Cu, and Fe in anion and cation exchange membranes; NH4, NO3, and ortho-P in resin lysimeters; NH4, NO3, and ortho-P in soil solution collected with falling head ceramic cup lysimeters; and NH4, NO3, and ortho-P in surface runoff. These results were from slash piles burned in spring; measurements are currently being made on slash piles burned in autume, when the soils were much drier and results may therefore be different. PARTICIPANTS: W.W. Miller, Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV. Coordinated work on runoff measurements. TARGET AUDIENCES: Local target audiences include: US Forest Service Nevada Division of Forestry Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Lahonton Water Quality Board National Target audiences include: US Forest Service Scientific peers in forestry and forest soil research PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The sampling design has been modified slightly and will continue to be so as a result of burning activities that are controlled and coordinated by the Nevada Division of Forestry in Little Valley.
Impacts
We have found the expected patterns for NH4, Ca, and Mg: highest in the centers of the slash piles, where burning was most intense and lowest near the edges where burning was least intense. Control sites (adjacent to slash piles) were much lower than in piles. Patterns for other nutrients varied considerably and in more detail than can be described here. Perhaps most significantly, we found no depletions of total C or total N in the centers of the slash piles, and thus conclude that slash pile burning in these cases cause no harm to soil fertility and in fact improved short-term soil fertility. Soil solution and runoff were somewhat elevated in NO3 concentrations, as expected.
Publications
- Berger, B. R., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W. 2008. The effects of slash pile burning on soils of Little Valley, Nevada. Presented at Wildfires and Invasive Plants in American Deserts, Reno, NV. (Abstract)
- Berger, B. R., Johnson, D. W., Miller, W. W. 2008. The effects of slash pile burning on soils of Little Valley, Nevada. Presented at the Society of American Foresters, Reno, NV. (Abstract)
|