Next Article in Journal
Overflow Capacity Prediction of Pumping Station Based on Data Drive
Next Article in Special Issue
Suspended Sediment Transport in Mediterranean Streams: Monitoring and Load Estimation
Previous Article in Journal
Research on the Coupling Evaluation and Driving Factors of Water–Energy–Carbon in the Yellow River Basin
Previous Article in Special Issue
A Random Forest Machine Learning Approach for the Identification and Quantification of Erosive Events
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Water
Volume 15
Issue 13
10.3390/w15132378
water-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Use of Logs Downed by Wildfires as Erosion Barriers to Encourage Forest Auto-Regeneration: A Case Study in Calabria, Italy

by
Giuseppe Bombino
1,*,
Giuseppe Barbaro
2,
Pedro Pérez-Cutillas
3,
Daniela D’Agostino
1,
Pietro Denisi
1,
Giandomenico Foti
2 and
Santo Marcello Zimbone
1
1
Agriculture Department, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Energy, Environment and Matherials, Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
3
Department of Geography, University of Murcia, 3001 Murcia, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2023, 15(13), 2378; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132378
Submission received: 5 June 2023 / Revised: 23 June 2023 / Accepted: 25 June 2023 / Published: 27 June 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

The easy implementation of ecologically-sound remediation measures for the prompt stabilisation of burned areas may be crucial in Mediterranean forest environments. Manual in situ contour redirection of burned felled logs could aid in soil erosion control and facilitate forest self-regeneration. In this study, a plot-scale runoff/sediment yield survey was conducted in Calabria, Italy, within a Mediterranean pine forest that was affected by an extreme wildfire spanning over 15,000 hectares in the summer of 2021. The hydrological response to 24 rainfall events was analysed after one year of monitoring using nine Wischmeier and Smith 20% sloping plots, which were distributed into three plot-blocks representing different conditions (forested, burned with randomly directed fallen logs, and burned with fallen logs manually redirected along contour lines). The post-fire condition (with felled logs in random positions) exhibited a consistent overall increase (approximately four times) in runoff and sediment yield compared to the pre-fire situation. This degradation effect was mitigated by approximately 30% through the manual redirection of burned logs, which promoted early (three to five weeks) vegetation regeneration (including tree emergence) and enhanced coverage as vegetation spread from the log positions. The results obtained so far provide encouraging insights and warrant further research on steeper slopes and complementary aspects (regulatory, biological, mechanical, economic, etc.).
Keywords: forest wildfire; mountain areas; burned logs; soil erosion; erosion control; erosion barrier; runoff; sediment yield; forest regeneration forest wildfire; mountain areas; burned logs; soil erosion; erosion control; erosion barrier; runoff; sediment yield; forest regeneration

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Bombino, G.; Barbaro, G.; Pérez-Cutillas, P.; D’Agostino, D.; Denisi, P.; Foti, G.; Zimbone, S.M. Use of Logs Downed by Wildfires as Erosion Barriers to Encourage Forest Auto-Regeneration: A Case Study in Calabria, Italy. Water 2023, 15, 2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132378

AMA Style

Bombino G, Barbaro G, Pérez-Cutillas P, D’Agostino D, Denisi P, Foti G, Zimbone SM. Use of Logs Downed by Wildfires as Erosion Barriers to Encourage Forest Auto-Regeneration: A Case Study in Calabria, Italy. Water. 2023; 15(13):2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132378

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bombino, Giuseppe, Giuseppe Barbaro, Pedro Pérez-Cutillas, Daniela D’Agostino, Pietro Denisi, Giandomenico Foti, and Santo Marcello Zimbone. 2023. "Use of Logs Downed by Wildfires as Erosion Barriers to Encourage Forest Auto-Regeneration: A Case Study in Calabria, Italy" Water 15, no. 13: 2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132378

APA Style

Bombino, G., Barbaro, G., Pérez-Cutillas, P., D’Agostino, D., Denisi, P., Foti, G., & Zimbone, S. M. (2023). Use of Logs Downed by Wildfires as Erosion Barriers to Encourage Forest Auto-Regeneration: A Case Study in Calabria, Italy. Water, 15(13), 2378. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15132378

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop