Assessment of Selected Physicochemical Properties of Post-Fire Forest Soils in Various Sites of Al-Qardaha District, Lattakia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess certain physical and chemical changes in soils resulting from the 2020 forest fires in the Qalaat Al-Mahalba and Areeza regions of Lattakia Governorate, Syria. Soil samples were collected from two depths (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) in both burned sites and adjacent unburned (control) sites. The results in 2023 showed a statistically significant effect of fire on most of the studied properties. The fires led to a significant increase in sand content (50.00% in burned soil versus 38.50% in unburned soil). A sharp decrease in organic matter content was observed (3.03% versus 5.83%), and the concentration of available phosphorus also decreased (7.29 mg/kg versus 12.75 mg/kg). In contrast, the concentrations of nitrogen (15.88 mg/kg versus 13.50 mg/kg) and potassium (130.25 mg/kg versus 78.00 mg/kg) increased significantly. The mean electrical conductivity value in burned soil reached 1.3650 dS/m, compared to 0.425 dS/m in unburned soil. However, no statistically significant change in soil pH was observed between the burned and unburned areas. These findings indicate that forest fires induce profound alterations in the physical and chemical properties of soil, highlighting the critical importance of developing effective post-fire land management and soil restoration strategies.