The effects of forest fire and post-fire salvage logging on soil properties

In this study, it was aimed to see the effects of wildfire on biochemical properties of soil and the effects of removing the residuals of burned trees on the soil, as well. Chemical and biological properties of soil on oak (Quercus pubescens) and crimean pine (Pinus nigra) mixed sites were studied after a wildfire, in Safranbolu which is in Black Sea-Central Anatolia transition zone. Statistical evaluation for burned (with and without burned trees) and unburned (control) areas monitored for three years was made according to two-way anova analysis, and Duncan and Dunnett T3 post hoc tests were conducted with SPSS 21.The results indicated that low- and moderate-intensity forest fire had positive effects on some chemical properties of soil (pH, CaCO3, Ca, P2O5) while it had no effects on some of them (EC, OM, TN, acid phosphatase,) or had negative effects (β-D glucosidase, urease enzyme activities) on others.In the light of analyzed parameters, it was not detected any negative effects of salvage logging works in the forests, after a low- and moderate-intensity fire, on the improvement of soil properties