EFFECT OF FIRE ON MINERALIZATION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER
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Date
2019-08
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UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The investigation entitled “Effect of fire on mineralization of soil organic matter”
was carried out at five sites located at Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and
Forestry Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, during the year 2018-2019, with an aim to
determine the effect of fire on nitrogen mineralization, organic carbon and microbial biomass
carbon. The comparison of four land uses (viz. Forests, grasslands, scrubland and unburnt
chir pine) was made with respect to the studied parameters. A controlled fire was made in all
the land uses in March, 2018. Soil samples (0 to 5 cm, 5 -10 cm and 10-15 cm depths)from a
plot size of 50m × 50m for each land use at each site, were collected at monthly intervals
upto March, 2019. The soils of the area had bulk density varying from 1.11- 1.16 Mg m-3 and
pH varying from 5.89-6.13. The available N, P and K varied from 170.2-180.2, 23.9-29.5 and
271.7-321.5 kg ha-1, respectively. The ammonical- N content of 0-5 cm depth in forest soils
was higher (105.11 mg kg-1) which increased upto August and thereafter declined. The
content also decreased with depth. The nitrate-N of 0-5 cm depth was maximum (65.64 mg
kg-1) in the forest land use compared to the minimum in unburnt chir pine site (49.78 mg kg1
). The nitrate-N content varied with land use in the order Forest > Grassland > Scrubland >
Unburnt chir pine site. The net mineralization in the 0-5 cm depth was maximum (30.9 mg
kg-1) in forest landuse. The maximum rate of mineralization (0.09 mg N kg-1day-1) was in
sub-surface layers of forest and for surface layers of grassland, after the fire. Organic carbon
was in the order: grasslands (1.30 per cent) > unburnt site (1.29 per cent > scrubland (1.22
per cent) > forest (1.16 per cent). The soil microbial biomass carbon also varied from 155.5172.9
μg g-1 soil in forest, 131.3-147.1 μg g-1 soil in grassland, 130.4-145.1 μg g-1 soil in
scrubland and 174.2-186.4 μg g-1 soil in non- fire site. In general the forest fires ha
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