BIBLIOS

Document type
Book chapters


Title
Wildfire impacts on aquatic ecosystems

Participants in the publication
Paulo Pinto (Author)
UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA
Pedro Gonçalves Vaz (Author)
UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA
Christopher Robinson (Author)
Manuela Morais (Author)
UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA

Summary
Wildfires are relatively common in many biomes, often being an\nimportant vector in forest structuring. Large areas of forest are burned each year,\nat times causing severe social and economic impacts. Generally, the impacts of\nwildfires on terrestrial ecosystems are well known, but less information is available\nconcerning the impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The vulnerability of trees as well as\nforest succession after wildfire can influence response and recovery of aquatic\necosystems to wildfire. Terrestrial inputs into aquatic systems following wildfire can\nadd nutrients and fine sediments with both positive and negative impacts on aquatic\ncommunities. Long-term effects can occur when large woody debris are deposited in\nrivers, causing morphological modifications of rivers with various effects on aquatic\ncommunities. The recovery of aquatic ecosystems after wildfire is often associated\nwith the recovery of adjacent landscapes. Mediterranean rivers, typically\nexperiencing major fluctuations in water availability and temperature, tend to show\nfaster recovery rates than rivers from other biomes that have less environmental\nvariation in flow and temperature.

Editor(s)
Duarte, LMG; Pinto, P


Institution
UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA

Where published
Sustainable development: energy, environment and natural disasters

Publication Identifiers

Address
Évora

Publisher
Fundação Luis de Molina



Keywords
wildfires forest basin management lotic ecosystems habitat morphology aquatic communities Mediterranean rivers

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