1.2 Detalles de contacto de las personas de referencia e instituciones involucradas en la evaluación y la documentación de la Tecnología

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Catastrophic shifts in drylands (EU-CASCADE)

Nombre del proyecto que financió la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Preventing and Remediating degradation of soils in Europe through Land Care (EU-RECARE )

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

Nombre de la(s) institución(es) que facilitaron la documentación/ evaluación de la Tecnología (si fuera relevante)

University of Aveiro (University of Aveiro) - Portugal

1.3 Condiciones referidas al uso de datos documentados mediante WOCAT

¿Cuándo se compilaron los datos (en el campo)?

04/10/2007

El compilador y la/s persona(s) de referencia claves aceptan las condiciones acerca del uso de los datos documentados mediante WOCAT:

Sí

2.1 Breve descripción de la Tecnología

Definición de la Tecnología:

Hydromulch is spread immediately after a wildfire in order to reduce overland flow and prevent soil erosion.

2.2 Descripción detallada de la Tecnología

Descripción:

The research team of the University of Aveiro in collaboration with the fire Brigade and a private company applied the hydromulch in a burnt pine area burnt at moderate fire severity. Hydromulch was spreaded manually from a jet hose over a group of erosion plots, and both runoff and erosion were compared to an untreated group of plots.
The hydromulch was applied at a ratio of 3.5 Mg ha-1 providing an initial ground cover of 80%, and was found to reduce post-fire runoff in 70% and soil erosion in 83%.

Purpose of the Technology: Hydromulch has been particularly useful on steep slopes and strongly modified areas such as quarries, construction sites, and cut and fill slopes along roads (Robichaud et al., 2010). The hydromulch is a complex mixture which contain basically water and wood or paper fibers. Additionally it can contain seeds, surfactants, seed-growing biostimulants, nutrients and a green colorant. It is intended that each component affected some of the pieces of the post-fire runoff erosion process.
The high effectiveness in runoff reduction could be related to the effect of the wood fibers, because it increases the surface water storage capacity, but also due to the effect of the surfactants, a wetting agent that reduces SWR and increases soil infiltration. Ideally, post-fire hydromulching must be carried out immediately after the fire, over bare, unprotected and steep burnt areas. It is intended for places in which burnt severity was moderate to high and where there are very important values at risk, such as water reservoirs, populations, industries, human and wild life.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The hydromulch is applied once, immediately after the wildfire, aerially, from a tractor or also manually by using a jet hose operated by a person on foot. It basically consisted of a mixture of water, wood fibers and seeds. The seed composition should include autoctonous plant species, in order to avoid alien species into the burnt area and increase the germination success. Besides the composition, the application technique can influence the hydromulch effectiveness. Rough (2007) and Robichaud et al. (2010) reported that the hydromulch sprayed from vehicles was intercepted by the standing trees, and they recommended special caution when applying the mixture in areas with a high density of dead trees and from long distances. Aerial hydromulch can be a better and less expensive option, but Hubbert et al. (2012) checked that the intended application rates of 50% and 100% hydromulch cover resulted in only 20–26% and 56%.

Natural / human environment: The natural forest in central Portugal has been substituted by pine and eucalypt trees that are typically planted as monocultures for wood and paper pulp production. The landscape reflects a long history of intense land management, with a mosaic of (semi-) natural and man-made agricultural and afforested lands. In recent years, however, wildfires have increased dramatically in frequency and extent, and have been associated to soil fertility losses, and consequently to socio-economic losses.

2.3 Fotografías de la Tecnología

2.5 País/ región/ lugares donde la Tecnología fue aplicada y que se hallan comprendidos por esta evaluación

2.6 Fecha de la implementación

Si no se conoce el año preciso, indique la fecha aproximada:

• 10-50 años atrás

2.7 Introducción de la Tecnología

Especifique cómo se introdujo la Tecnología:

• durante experimentos/ investigación

Comentarios (tipo de proyecto, etc.):

Hydromulch has been particularly useful on steep slopes and strongly modified areas such as quarries, construction sites, and cut and fill slopes along roads (Emanual, 1976; Benik et al., 2003; Robichaud et al., 2010).

3.2 Tipo(s) actuales de uso de la tierra donde se aplica la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Increased runoff and soil erosion, resulting in a decrease of on-site fertility and derived off-site effects such as loss of water quality, reservoirs water volume storage, higher risk of flooding and human beings damage.
Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Loss of wood resources and productivity.
Plantation forestry: Yes
Forest products and services: timber, fuelwood
Constraints of infrastructure network (roads, railways, pipe lines, power lines): price

3.3 Información adicional sobre el uso de tierras

Número de temporadas de cultivo por año:

• 1

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 270Longest growing period from month to month: September to May

3.4 Grupo MST al que pertenece la Tecnología

• cobertura de suelo/ vegetal mejorada

3.5 Difusión de la Tecnología

Especifique la difusión de la Tecnología:

• distribuida parejamente sobre un área

Si la tecnología se halla difundida homogéneamente en un área, indique el área aproximada que cubre:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comentarios:

Plot experiments

3.6 Medidas MST que componen la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main measures: agronomic measures

Type of agronomic measures: mulching

3.7 Principales tipos de degradación del suelo encarados con la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Main type of degradation addressed: Wt: loss of topsoil / surface erosion

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Wg: gully erosion / gullying, Wo: offsite degradation effects, Pk: sealing and crusting

Main causes of degradation: deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires) (Monoculture of forest plantations prone to forest fires)

3.8 Prevención, reducción o restauración de la degradación del suelo

Especifique la meta de la Tecnología con relación a la degradación de la tierra:

• reducir la degradación del suelo

Comentarios:

Main goals: mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4.1 Dibujo técnico de la Tecnología

4.2 Especificaciones técnicas/ explicaciones del dibujo técnico

Hydromulch should be spread as homogeneous as possible over steep areas (higher than 15º) burnt at high fire severity (represented in green and 1). Other areas which are flat (2) and burnt at low severity or only partially burnt (3) must be avoided.

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: moderate

Technical knowledge required for land users: high

Main technical functions: control of raindrop splash, control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard, control of concentrated runoff: impede / retard, improvement of ground cover, increase in nutrient availability (supply, recycling,…), sediment retention / trapping, sediment harvesting

Secondary technical functions: control of dispersed runoff: retain / trap, control of concentrated runoff: retain / trap, increase of surface roughness, improvement of surface structure (crusting, sealing), increase of infiltration, increase / maintain water stored in soil

Mulching
Material/ species: water-based mixture of organic fibers and green colorant
Quantity/ density: 3.5Mg ha-1
Remarks: achieve a ground cover of 80%

4.3 Información general sobre el cálculo de insumos y costos

otra / moneda nacional (especifique):

euros

Indique la tasa de cambio de USD a la moneda local (si fuese relevante): 1 USD =:

0,78

4.4 Actividades de establecimiento

	Actividad	Tipo de medida	Momento
1.	Apply hydromulch	Agronómicas
2.	Trasportation (Track with a jet-spreading system)	Agronómicas
3.	Other	Agronómicas

4.5 Costos e insumos necesarios para el establecimiento

	Especifique insumo	Unidad	Cantidad	Costos por unidad	Costos totales por insumo	% de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras
Mano de obra	Labour	ha	1,0	128,2	128,2	100,0
Equipo	Machine use	ha	1,0	128,2	128,2	100,0
Otros	Hydromulch	ha	1,0	3205,0	3205,0	100,0
Otros	Others	ha	1,0	128,2	128,2	100,0
Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología					3589,6

Comentarios:

Duration of establishment phase: 0.1 month(s)
Lifespan of the hydromulch: 1 year

4.7 Costos e insumos necesarios para actividades de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (por año)

Comentarios:

The prices were determined in winter 2009 for central Portugal. In other regions and for other formulations these prices can vary. When compared with straw mulch its price is extremely high, but despite this greater expense, hydromulching has been used especially in the USA after some fires when access was difficult, the slopes were too steep or subject to wind to use straw mulch and when there were particularly important ‘values at risk’, such as water reservoirs, cultural or natural heritage sites, national or regional wildlife protected areas or industrial plants

4.8 Factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Describa los factores más determinantes que afectan los costos:

Accessibility and steepness will raise the costs, but selecting hydromulchings is also a main factor. The more complex the hydromulch the more expensive the application cost. Hydromulch with seeds have also the possibility of introducing invasive plants into the ecosystems and increase the costs. For large and inaccessible areas the aerial hydromulch can reduce the costs.

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografía

5.3 Suelos

Si se halla disponible, adjunte una descripción completa de los suelos o especifique la información disponible, por ej., tipo de suelo, pH/ acidez de suelo, capacidad de intercambio catiónico, nitrógeno, salinidad, etc. :

Soil texture is medium (sandy-loam)
Soil fertilits is high
Topsoil organic matter is high (forest soil)
Soil drainage/infiltration is poor-medium
Soil water storage capacity is low

5.4 Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre calidad y cantidad de agua:

Water quality (untreated) is for agriculutral use only (surface water)

5.5 Biodiversidad

Comentarios y especificaciones adicionales sobre biodiversidad:

Forest plantation

5.6 Las características de los usuarios de la tierra que aplican la Tecnología

Indique otras características relevantes de los usuarios de las tierras:

Population density: < 10 persons/km2
Annual population growth: < 0.5%
40% of the land users are average wealthy.
60% of the land users are poor.
Market orientation of production system: subsistence (self-supply), mixed (subsistence/ commercial, commercial/ market

5.7 Área promedio de la tierra que pertenece a o es arrendada por usuarios de tierra que aplican la Tecnología

5.8 Tenencia de tierra, uso de tierra y derechos de uso de agua

Tenencia de tierra:

• individual, sin título

5.9 Acceso a servicios e infraestructura

6.1 Impactos in situ demostrados por la Tecnología

Impactos socioeconómicos

Producción

Disponibilidad y calidad de agua

Impactos socioculturales

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo de agua/ escurrimiento de sedimento

Suelo

Biodiversidad: vegetación, animales

6.2 Impactos fuera del sitio demostrados por la Tecnología

6.3 Exposición y sensibilidad de la Tecnología al cambio climático gradual y a extremos relacionados al clima/ desastres (desde la percepción de los usuarios de tierras)

Cambio climático gradual

Cambio climático gradual

	Estación	tipo de cambios climáticos/ climas extremos	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
temperatura anual		incrementó	bien

Extremos (desastres) relacionados al clima

Desastres climatológicos:

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
tormenta de lluvia local	bien
tormenta de viento	bien

Desastres climatológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
sequía	bien

Desastres hidrológicos

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
inundación general (río)	no se sabe

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

Otras consecuencias relacionadas al clima

	¿Cómo es que la tecnología soporta esto?
periodo reducido de crecimiento	bien

6.4 Análisis costo-beneficio

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de establecimiento (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

¿Cómo se comparan los beneficios con los costos de mantenimiento/ recurrentes (desde la perspectiva de los usuarios de tierra)?

Comentarios:

Hydromulch is seen as a very expensive treatment without clear advantages at the short term, but good at the long term period.

6.5 Adopción de la Tecnología

Comentarios:

Comments on spontaneous adoption: The technology has not been applied by any land user. It is a newly research-developed technology.

There is no trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: The owners are not aware because of the costs, but they will change if the government start funding it.

6.7 Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades de la Tecnología

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del usuario de la tierra
It will prevent sediment movement and accumulation over roads and down slope properties and values at risk. How can they be sustained / enhanced? By developing more economic application formulations and schemes.

Fuerzas/ ventajas/ oportunidades desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave

It is a technology that has the advantages of the mulching technique and also can be used as a tool for increase the biodiversity, expand the distribution of some protected plant species at the same time that soil is keep in place. How can they be sustained / enhanced? The use of longer mulch fibers can still increase the hydromulch effectiveness, since some researchers found the longest fibers to be more effective in soil erosion control than the shorter ones.

6.8 Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos de la Tecnología y formas de sobreponerse a ellos

Debilidades/ desventajas/ riesgos desde la perspectiva del compilador o de otra persona de referencia clave	¿Cómo sobreponerse a ellas?
Hydromulch is very expensive when compared to straw mulch, but not more effective in post-fire soil erosion reduction.	To develop hydromulch mixtures using the lowest amount of water as well as other chemical components to the minimum.
Some researchers found very low performance due to the interception of the hydromulch jet by the dead standing trees	Verify when applying it that the ground coverreach a minimum of 60%
Sometimes the mulch component (wood fibers, chopped paper) can be removed very easily by heavy rainfall, and thus treatment effectiveness can decrease greatly.

7.2 Vínculos a las publicaciones disponibles

Título, autor, año, ISBN:

EFFECTIVENESS OF HYDROMULCHING TO REDUCE RUNOFF AND EROSION
IN A RECENTLY BURNT PINE PLANTATION IN CENTRAL PORTUGAL. Prats et al. (in press). Land Degradation and Development DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2236


2-Effects of hydromulch on post-fire erosion and plant recovery in chaparral shrublands of
southern California. Hubbert et al. 2012 International Journal of Wildland Fire 21:155–167.
Rough D. 2007. Effectiveness of rehabilitation treatments in reducing postfire
erosion after the Hayman and Schoonover fires, Colorado Front
Range. Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University. MsC. Thesis; 186.
Robichaud PR, Ashmun LE, Sims BD. 2010. Post-fire treatment effectiveness
for hillslope stabilization. General Technical Report, RMRS-GTR-240. U.
S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research
Station, Fort Collins, CO.