Effects of prescribed burning on surface runoff and erosion

Abstract

Prescribed burning – the deliberate use of fire to achieve management objectives – is used extensively in fire-prone vegetation for reducing fuel hazards and enhancing ecological values. As governments set ambitious targets for more prescribed burning, it is important to understand and manage the potential negative impacts, such as increased erosion. While globally there are many studies that consider the effects of prescribed burning on surface runoff and erosion, there are critical knowledge gaps for particular forest types (e.g. dry eucalypt forests) and in relation to understanding the factors controlling particular post-fire hydrologic and erosion responses, the likelihood of large impa..