Hydrological Drivers and Effects of Wildfire in Mediterranean Rural and Forest Ecosystems: A Mini Review

Abstract

Wildfires are key drivers of changes in hydrological processes in the Mediterranean environment. Hydrologic events in the post-fire period are important to understand, because these events can contaminate major water supplies, damage critical infrastructure, influence human safety and increase soil degradation. Several effects of wildfire influence soil hydrology, but the most important are water infiltration and soil water repellency (SWR). In this paper, we reviewed studies that have focused water infiltration, SWR and the resulting runoff and soil loss after wildfire from a selection carried out on bibliometric databases. We have found a great variability in the results of the various studies, with findings sometimes conflicting, due to the high complexity of post-fire hydrology and variability of experimental conditions. The complex relationships between soil properties that must be considered while attempting to reach a comprehensive conclusion suggest the need of further research, which should explore as much as possible the intrinsic variability of soil properties and wildfire characteristics. Understanding and capturing the mechanisms underlying soil processes following wildfire are of great importance for a successful ecosystem management under changing climatic conditions.