Studying The Effects of Forest Fire on Consistency Limits of Sandy Soils: A Case Study, Kozağaç, Muğla

Abstract

The changes in physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of topsoil after forest fires and their relevancy with erosion risk have been so far studied for different geographical regions and ecosystems. It is well known that the risk of erosion increases due to the loss of shear strength and the changes in hydraulic properties after the fire. The consistency limits are strongly related to the shear strength of the soil. Nevertheless, a few studies evaluated the consistency limits of naturally burned soils. In addition, determination of the consistency limits of sandy soils can be very challenging owing to their low plasticity. The temperatures produced by the forest fire that occurred on the left flank of an irrigation dam in Muğla, Kozağaç village affected the topsoil. Hence, grain size distribution, soil organic content (SOM), and Atterberg limits of 24 soil specimens collected from the burned and unburned locations were studied. It was found that the grain size distribution of the burned soil did not significantly change whereas clay content and Atterberg limits increased, and SOM decreased. The methodology followed in this study and the results can be served as a base for future studies of fire effects on sandy soils.

Keywords

• Atterberg limits
• sandy soil
• forest fire
• clay content
• organic matter

Orman yangının kumlu zeminlerin kıvam limitleri üzerindeki etkisinin çalışılması: Bir vaka incelemesi, Kozağaç, Muğla

Abstract

Orman yangınlarının ardından toprağın üst katmanında meydana gelen fiziksel, kimyasal ve mineralojik değişimler ve bunların erozyonla ilişkisi bugüne kadar farklı coğrafik bölge ve ekosistemler için çalışılmıştır. Yangın sonrası erozyon riskinin, yangın sonrasında makaslama direnci kaybı ve zeminin hidrolik özelliklerinin değişmesi nedeniyle arttığı bilinmektedir. Kıvam limiti değerleri toprağın makaslama dayanımıyla doğrudan ilişkilidir. Buna karşın, az sayıda çalışma doğal yollarla yanmış toprakların kıvam limitlerini irdelemiştir. Buna ek olarak, kumlu zeminlerin kıvam limitlerinin belirlenmesi düşük plastisiteye sahip olmaları nedeniyle oldukça zor olabilir. Muğla’nın Kozağaç mahallesinde bulunan sulama barajının sol sahilindeki yamaçlarda meydana gelen yangında oluşan sıcaklıklar üst toprağı etkilemiştir. Bu nedenle, yanmış ve yanmamış alanlardan toplanan 24 adet numunenin tane boyu dağılımı, organik madde içeriği (SOM) ve kıvam limitleri çalışılmıştır. Yanmış toprağın tane boyu dağılımında anlamlı bir değişiklik olmadığı ancak kil içeriği ve Atterberg limitlerinin arttığı, SOM’nin azaldığı bulunmuştur. Bu çalışmada kullanılan yöntemler ve sonuçlar ileride yangının kumlu topraklar üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılacağı çalışmalar için bir temel olarak kabul edilebilir.

Keywords

• Atterberg limitleri
• kumlu zemin
• orman yangını
• kil içeriği
• organik madde
• Atterberg limits
• sandy soil
• forest fire
• clay content
• organic matter

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