Effect of fire severity on soil properties in a seasonally dry forest ecosystem of Central India

Forest fire monitoring, assessment, and management are important aspects of the tropics because of their significant ecological, economic, and social impact. Soil is considered one of the most important natural resources. Wildfire alters the soil nutrient status and pool through volatilization, erosion, leaching, oxidation, and ash transport. Little information is available on how soil properties, carbon stock, nitrogen stock, and soil microbial biomass carbon vary along depth and fire severity (high, medium, low, and no fire). In order to address this question, soil was sampled from 0-10 to 10-20 cm depths from different fire zones (high, medium, low, and no fire zone) of Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary of Chhattisgarh, India. The level of macronutrients, carbon stock, nitrogen stock, and microbial biomass carbon was higher at no-fire zone than in the rest of the sites (high, medium, and low severity fire zones). Total soil carbon stock (0-20 cm soil depth) was highest in no-fire zone (69.51 ton ha(-1)) followed by medium (66.55 ton ha(-1)) or low fire severity (53.69 ton ha(-1)). The total soil nitrogen stock across the sites ranged between 2.60 and 4.08 ton ha(-1), and it was higher in the no-fire zone followed by the medium or high fire severity. Soil microbial biomass carbon reflected a similar trend with higher values in no-fire zone followed by the medium fire severity, high fire severity and low fire severity zones. Such information on wildfire and soil attributes is essential for the preparation of better management and action plan to regulate the forest soil quality.