FiRING Research

Wildfire is one of the most significant extreme events destroying ecosystems and leading to nutrient losses, soil degradation, and environmental pollution. In Chile, the number of wildfires and burned areas has exceeded the historical 50,000 ha annually, leading to dramatic consequences for forest ecosystems and the forestry sector. The consequences of wildfire make ecosystems exceptionally susceptible to progressive soil degradation and nutrient losses, reducing ecosystem productivity and carbon sequestration. This project examines how extreme wildfires alter soil biochemical and water cycling, promote soil erosion and impede forest recovery during vegetation succession and plantation establishment. This information will be fed into regionalized models to predict the effect of wildfires on hydrology, soil erosion, forest productivity and carbon sequestration. The FiRING project will establish a solid process for understanding wildfire effects on soil and forest degradation and provide best management practice alternatives for recovering the health and functionality of burned forests and soil ecosystems. The project will strengthen and expand international and national collaboration networks and extend its results to society as a whole. Dissemination of expected results will not only be extended into academic environments through a web page, seminars (workshops), publications, and presentation at congresses, but also at a school and professional level through video capsules and diffusion booklets for schoolchildren and lectures for forest professionals (e.g., park rangers, technical personnel of companies).