the effect of time since last fire occurrence on selected soil hydrological properties in a South African savanna

摘要: BackgroundFires are a natural occurrence in African savannas yet little is known about how fires affect soil hydrological properties over time. This study aimed to determine the short-term (1–9 months post fire) and long-term (> seven decades fire exclusion) impact of experimental fires on soil hydrology in a fire-prone African savanna. This study also investigated how soil hydrological properties may vary under different vegetation physiognomies.MethodsSaturated hydraulic conductivity (K) was determined using a modified falling head method through macropores (KMacro) while unsaturated K was measured using a tension disc infiltrometer (Ψ = 30 mm) to reflect the meso- and micro-pore conductivity (KMeso+Micro). Soil hydrophobicity was measured using the water droplet penetration time (WDPT) test.ResultsFor the finer soil pores, fires significantly reduce KMeso+Micro in the short-term one month post-burn …