Effects of small rock check dams on channel bed, vegetation diversity, and soil properties 10 years after a severe wildfire in forest micro‐catchments of central eastern Spain

Bibliographic Data

ID21649910
AuthorsAdrian Martinez Hontecillas (Department of Agroforestry Technology, Science and Genetics, School of Advanced Agricultural and Forestry Engineering Campus Universitario s/n, Castilla La Mancha University Albacete Spain), Manuel Esteban Lucas‐Borja (0000-0001-6270-8408, Department of Agroforestry Technology, Science and Genetics, School of Advanced Agricultural and Forestry Engineering Campus Universitario s/n, Castilla La Mancha University Albacete Spain), Maria Ángeles Carmona‐Yañez (Department of Agroforestry Technology, Science and Genetics, School of Advanced Agricultural and Forestry Engineering Campus Universitario s/n, Castilla La Mancha University Albacete Spain), Pietro Denisi (0000-0003-4714-4717, Department AGRARIA “Mediterranea” University of Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Italy), Pedro Antonio Plaza‐Álvarez (0000-0003-1034-2576, Department of Agroforestry Technology, Science and Genetics, School of Advanced Agricultural and Forestry Engineering Campus Universitario s/n, Castilla La Mancha University Albacete Spain), Demetrio Antonio Zema (0000-0002-5743-3996, Department AGRARIA “Mediterranea” University of Reggio Calabria Reggio Calabria Italy, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume35
Issue15
Pages4428-4441
Publication date2024-09-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLand Degradation and Development (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1085-3278 • E-ISSN: 1099-145X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ldr.5229
OpenAlexW4400219646
LanguageEN
References cited66

One of the most common post‐fire management techniques is the construction of check dams in catchments. However, little research has explored how small check dams impact on bed profile, vegetation diversity and soil properties several years after their construction in Mediterranean ephemeral channels draining micro‐catchments burned by severe wildfires. To fill this gap, this study has evaluated the effects of rock check dams installed about 10 years ago in small catchments after a wildfire in Castilla La Mancha (Central Eastern Spain). The changes in channel morphology, plant diversity as well as a large dataset of soil properties have been analysed close to the check dams in comparison to burned but non‐regulated channels. Neither the channel slope nor bed sediment size significantly changed downstream and upstream of the structures in comparison to the non‐regulated channels. Thanks to the unexploited retention capacity, the studied control works are still able to store the mobilised sediments on occasion of the most intense floods. Higher species richness in both upstream and downstream sections (+64%) was detected, while the plant evenness was not altered compared to the non‐regulated channels. Regarding the soil properties, increases in organic matter (over 200%), nutrients (+72% for N and +152% for P) and some cations (+29% for Ca and +86% for Mg) were measured. Overall, the presence of the rock check dams in the burned micro‐catchments, although improving many key plant and soil characteristics, did not sharply change the hydrological, geomorphological and ecological conditions compared with those of the non‐regulated catchments

Geography · Geotechnical engineering · Physical geography · Environmental Science · Fire effects on ecosystems · Hydrology and Sediment Transport Processes · Soil erosion and sediment transport · Forestry · Geology

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