Soil Chemical Properties and Trace Elements after Wildfire in Mediterranean Croatia: Effect of Severity, Vegetation Type and Time-Since-Fire

Natural landscapes in the Mediterranean ecosystem have experienced extensive changes over last two centuries due to wildfire activity. Resulting interactions between climatic warming, vegetation species, soil natural, and meteorological condition before after a create substantial abrupt landscape alterations. This study investigates evolution (2 days, 3, 6, 9, 12 months fire) of topsoil (0–5 cm) chemical properties burned Cambisols (Zadar County, Croatia) with respect different severities (HS—high severity, MS—medium C—unburned) species (Quercus pubescens Willd. Juniperus communis L.). Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium carbonates (CaCO3), total organic carbon (TOC), nitrogen (TN), sulphur (TS), copper (Cu) zinc (Zn) were significantly higher HS than MS C. Total potassium (TK), Fe Ni C HS. The increase TOC TN was more pronounced Quercus p. c., especially first three months. EC, CaCO3, TOC, TN, TS most affected by severity. distinction C, categories less visible 9 post-fire, indicating start recovery system. Post-fire management temporal system should consider obvious difference disturbance under species.