Holden, J, Wearing, C, Palmer, S et al. (3 more authors) (2014) Fire decreases near-surface hydraulic conductivity and macropore flow in blanket peat. Hydrological Processes, 28 (5). pp. 2868-2876. ISSN 0885-6087
Abstract
Many peatlands have been subjected to wildfire or prescribed burning, but it is not known how these fires influence near-surface hydrological processes. Macropores are important flowpaths in the upper layers of blanket peat and were investigated through the use of tension disc infiltrometers, which also provide data on saturated hydraulic conductivity. Measurements were performed on unburnt peat (U), where prescribed burning had taken place 2years (B2), 4years (B4) and >15 (B15+) years prior to sampling, and where a wildfire (W) had taken place 4months prior to sampling. Where there had been recent burning (B2, B4 and W), saturated hydraulic conductivity was approximately three times lower than where there was no burning (U) or where burning was last conducted >15years ago (B15+). Similarly, the contribution of macropore flow to overall infiltration was significantly lower (between 12% and 25% less) in the recently burnt treatments compared to B15+ and U. There were no significant differences in saturated hydraulic conductivity or macropore flow between peat that had been subject to recent wildfire (W) and those that had undergone recent prescribed burning (B2 and B4). The results suggest that fire influences the near-surface hydrological functioning of peatlands but that recovery in terms of saturated hydraulic conductivity and macropore flow may be possible within two decades if there are no further fires.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Holden, J, Wearing, C, Palmer, S, Jackson, B, Johnston, K and Brown, LE (2014) Fire decreases near-surface hydraulic conductivity and macropore flow in blanket peat. Hydrological Processes, 28 (5). pp. 2868-2876, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9875. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |
Keywords: | rotational heather burning; wildfire; peatland; tension infiltrometer; hydraulic conductivity; grouse moor; soil hydrology |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number NERC NE/G00224X/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 08 Jul 2013 10:37 |
Last Modified: | 20 Jan 2018 20:15 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9875 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | John Wiley & Sons |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/hyp.9875 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:75943 |