Fire alters the availability of soil nutrients and accelerates growth of Eucalyptus grandis in Zambia

Abstract

Fire has been used to prepare land during tree plantation establishment for many years but uncertainty about how ecosystems respond to prescribed burning makes it difficult to predict the effects of fire on soil nutrients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of burning accumulated forest residues (slash) on soil chemical properties and how trees respond. We analyzed 40 burned and unburned sites and compared growth of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden between sites. Soil pH increased by 39% after fire, suggesting reduced soil acidity and increased liming. Total nitrogen increased by 100%; other nutrients (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺) also increased. Increase in nutrients had a significant effect on the growth of E. grandis; larger and taller trees were associated more with burned than unburned sites. This study provides evidence that burning accumulated slash during land preparation prior to plantation establishment alters soil nutrient status and enhances the growth of E. grandis.

Keywords

Nitrogen mineralization / Forest residue burning / Soil nutrients / Zambia exotic plantations / Plantation establishment / Eucalyptus grandis

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