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The effect of fire on soil humic substances

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Summary

High temperature effects on soil humic substances were investigated both in natural and laboratory conditions. Differential Thermal Analysis and pyrolysis show that only temperatures above 250°C produce changes in the humic acid fraction. The mean change is a loss of weight due to decarboxylation. Isotachophoretic studies also show that temperatures higher than 250°C produce alteration in the separation pattern of the different subfractions due to changes in the ‘core’ or/and in the amount of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Isotachophoregrams done on soil samples extracted from an area before and after fire show no differences. This result is taken as an indication that there was no direct effect of the temperature on the soil humic substances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional del Sur, 8000, Bahia Bianca, Argentina

    Gustavo A. Orioli & Néstor R. Curvetto

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  1. Gustavo A. Orioli
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  2. Néstor R. Curvetto
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Orioli, G.A., Curvetto, N.R. The effect of fire on soil humic substances. Plant Soil 50, 91–98 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02107159

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02107159

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