To extinguish or not to extinguish: The role of forest fire in nature and soil resilience

Forest fire is a commonly occurring phenomenon in all ecosystems around the world. It has numerous short- and long-term effects on the ecosystem. Intensive research has made it easy for one to analyze the changes made in the soil system. However, these results remain complex, ranging from altering biomass to reducing or eliminating the underground physical, chemical, and microbial processes. The soil is a significant contributor to the ecosystem, and its recovery is fundamental for the sustainability of the ecosystem. The effects of forest fire are either beneficial or disastrous, depending on the fire severity. Unlike high-impact burning, low-impact burning can stimulate more beneficial herbaceous flora and increase the nutrients available to plants. This article analyzes the effect of fire on the different aspects of the soil depending on the various analysis and experiments conducted on the impact of fire on different principals. The paper is a general review of the effects of fire on the belowground systems, emphasizing the changes in physical, biogeochemical, and biological properties of the soils and the subsequent consequences for ecosystem sustainability. Understanding this process is of much concern and essence to the ecologists, land managers, and other relative professionals. (C) 2021 The Author. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.