Slash burning, faunal composition, and nutrient dynamics in a Eucalyptus grandis plantation in South Africa
2007
Nadel, R.L. | Scholes, M.C. | Byrne, M.J.
The sustainability of exotic commercial plantations is dependent on the conservation of soil nutrients, especially on the ancient, leached soils of the tropics, particularly when limited fertilization is practiced. In Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maid. plantations in South Africa, the site is usually burned following harvest and prior to replanting, potentially causing a disruption of soil faunal function and losses of nutrients associated with burning and removal of slash residues. The aim was to study the effect of fire on nutrient dynamics and invertebrate faunal composition. The in situ nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization rates and invertebrate faunal composition were measured in six randomly located plots -- three burned and three unburned -- prior to and after a low-intensity fire. Results indicate that within the burned plots, phosphorus availability was enhanced 10-fold within the first month following the fire. Invertebrate faunal diversity was low both prior to and after burning, with ants constituting the highest number. Invertebrate faunal composition was more markedly influenced by season than by the fire, with millipedes present in the majority of plots in spring and ants dominating in summer.
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