The main aims of the meeting were to explore issues concerning the effects of fire on soil properties. It is well known that fire and temperature produce changes to the physical, chemical, organic and biological characteristics of soils. The frequency and severity of forests fires has increased in the past decade, and this is a widespread worldwide phenomenon. It is important to understand the effect of high intensity fires and prescribed fire as a management tool on soils.

 

A total of 107 scientists met in Barcelona from 18 different countries. Different specialization and affiliation of the participants in the meeting made an interdisciplinary and heterogeneous congress with a variety of scientific and management issues.

 

The contributions embraced a wide range of topics and the sessions were divided in 5 categories:

 

1.- Fire Effects on Hydrology and Soil Physical Properties                                              

2.- Fire Effects on Organic Matter Content, Soil Chemical and Biological Properties

3.- New Methodologies to Study Fire Effects On Soil

4.- Fire Intensity and Fire Severity Measurements

5.- Soil Recovery After Fires

 

The total of papers presented was 84, of which 44 as oral communication and 40 as posters. There were two key lectures: Stefan Doerr from the University of Swansea talked about the “Fire Effects on Soil Hydrological Behaviour” and John Moody from the USGS (United States Geology Survey) lectured on “Linking Runoff Response to Burn Severity after a Wildfire”.

 

The conference treated items as: Spatial and Temporal work scales. The influence of forest fires and their intensity and recurrence in Carbon cycling and Climate change analysis and the use of models to predict the changes and the recovery after fire. It is also interesting to explore effective ways to communicate the results of this meeting to the Forest Authorities and also to society.

 

The meeting also included an excursion to visit a cork oak forest site in the Gavarres Mountain (Girona) where prescribed burnings are going to be used as a management tool.