Tools for Predicting Risk of Soil Erosion or Soil Damage Following Prescribed Burns

While serious erosion and surface-runoff problems are not as common in the south as they are in the western US, it is still important for managers to assess the susceptibility of their particular site to soil damage and erosion and follow guidelines for mitigating these potential effects. Coarse-textured soils on steep slopes may be particularly susceptible to erosion, particularly following intense site preparation burns or wildfires.

The WEPP model (Water Erosion Prediction Project) can be used to assess the effects of forest management activities on erosion. WEPP is a process based, event-by-event hillslope and watershed erosion model developed as a next generation model to the widely-used Universal soil loss equation. Although it is most often used to predict soil erosion on agricultural and range lands, it has recently been upgraded to predict the impact of forest management activities on soil erosion. The USFS is currently conducting studies that will help to validate the model for burning in southeastern forests.

• Table:Hazard Ratings for Soil Loss Following Prescribed Burns predicts the risk of soil loss based on topography, soil type, and fuel loading.
• Table:Potential Risk for Adverse Soil Effects in the Southern Region predicts risk of soil damage from underburns and clearcuts for different soil conditions in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Appalachians.
• Table:Soil Rating Criteria for Potential Damage to Soil by Fire predicts risk of soil damage from fires based on soil surface thickness, soil texture, slope, and aspect.

Techniques for Monitoring Erosion

1986). al. et (Lyon photogrammetry and 1986), (Lance markers radioactive 1976), (Wright troughs erosion catchments 1983), Warrington (Blaney bridges as such purposes, research appropriate more measuring techniques Other 1979). (McRae pins management used be can inexpensive easy relatively methods these of Some fires. following monitoring variety a>There are a variety of methods available for monitoring soil erosion following fires. Some of these methods are relatively easy and inexpensive and can be used for management purposes, such as erosion pins (McRae et al. 1979). Other techniques for measuring erosion are more appropriate for research purposes, such as soil erosion bridges (Blaney and Warrington 1983), soil catchments or erosion troughs (Wright et al. 1976), radioactive markers (Lance et al. 1986), and photogrammetry (Lyon et al. 1986).