H. B. Vasistha

Fire & Soil: Post Fire Soil Dynamics in a Restored Mined Area H. B. Vasistha

Fire is a natural component of many ecosystems, which include plants and animals that interact with one another and with their physical environment. There is much yet to be learned about how fire affects ecosystems. Each fire and each ecosystem has unique properties. Fire alters the physical and chemical properties and the microbial population of the soil. Though there are number of studies available concerning to fire in natural forests and grasslands, but studies related to fire in restored ecosystems particularly in mined restored areas are very few. Sequential development in vegetation communities, amelioration of site quality with reference to soil fertility and microbial activities are integral processes followed in restored ecosystem and how these processes are deviated from its natural way in an event of fire is a matter of great interest to the ecologists. Moreover, there have been very few studies on soil microbial biomass so far in context to mined areas especially in India so far. Present work is an attempt made by the authors in this perspective.