The effect of forest fires on physical properties and magnetic susceptibility of semi-arid soils in north-eastern Libya
Eldiabani, Gibrel S. Hale, William H.G. Heron, Carl P.
Eldiabani, Gibrel S.
Hale, William H.G.
Heron, Carl P.
Publication Date
2014
End of Embargo
Supervisor
Keywords
Rights
Peer-Reviewed
Yes
Open Access status
closedAccess
Accepted for publication
Institution
Department
Awarded
Embargo end date
Collections
Abstract
Forest areas are particularly susceptible to fires, which
are often manmade. One of the most fire affected forest regions in the
world is the Mediterranean. Libya, in the Mediterranean region, has
soils that are considered to be arid except in a small area called
Aljabal Alakhdar (Green mountain), which is the geographic area
covered by this study. Like other forests in the Mediterranean it has
suffered extreme degradation. This is mainly due to people removing
fire wood, or sometimes converting forested areas to agricultural use,
as well as fires which may alter several soil chemical and physical
properties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of
fires on the physical properties of soil of Aljabal Alakhdar forest in
the north-east of Libya. The physical properties of soil following fire
in two geographic areas have been determined, with those subjected
to the fire compared to those in adjacent unburned areas in one
coastal and one mountain site. Physical properties studied were: soil
particle size (soil texture), soil water content, soil porosity and soil
particle density. For the first time in Libyan soils, the effect of
burning on the magnetic susceptibility properties of soils was also
tested. The results showed that the soils in both study sites,
irrespective of burning or depth fell into the category of a silt loam
texture, low water content, homogeneity of porosity of the soil
profiles, relatively high soil particle density values and there is a
much greater value of the soil magnetic susceptibility in the top layer
from both sites except for the soil water content and magnetic
susceptibility, fire has not had a clear effect on the soils’ physical
properties.
Version
No full-text in the repository
Citation
Eldiabani GS, Hale WHG and Heron CP (2014) The effect of forest fires on physical properties and magnetic susceptibility of semi-arid soils in north-eastern Libya. International Journal of Environmental, Ecological Geological and Mining Engineering. 8(1): 54-60.
Link to publisher’s version
Link to published version
Link to Version of Record
Type
Article