Medium-Term Comparative Effects of Prescribed Burning and Mechanical Shredding on Soil Characteristics in Heathland and Shrubland Habitats: Insights from a Protected Natural Area

Abstract

Parts of the Cantabrian Mountains (N Spain) have been colonized by woody species in the past six or seven decades as a result of a decline in livestock activity and changes in the fire regime. Various management strategies have been used to prevent the expansion of shrubs and recover grassland ecosystems for grazing activities. However, it is not clear how different vegetation treatments affect soils, which are crucial in supporting life and providing nutrients in these ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to compare the dynamics of the physicochemical and biological soil properties after two vegetation treatments: prescribed burning and shredding. Samples were obtained from plots representing alkaline and acidic soils dominated by gorse shrub (Genista hispanica subsp. occidentalis) and heath (Calluna vulgaris) plant communities, respectively. The soil samples were collected immediately before and after the treatments and one and two years later. The level of available P varied depending on the soil pH, and it only increased after the treatments in the acidic soils in the heathland community. The total N and available P concentrations were higher after the prescribed burning, and the enzymatic activity tended to be higher after the shredding treatment. Despite the significant effects on some soil variables, prescribed burning and shredding did not have important short- and medium-term effects on the chemical and soil enzymatic properties. These treatments can therefore be considered sustainable vegetation management tools, at least in the medium term.