Forest residue mulch being scattered in a recently burnt area.
In two areas of eucalypt plantations affected by wildfires in central Portugal in 2007 and 2010, the research team of the University of Aveiro set up two experiments in order to test the effect of forest residue mulching as a soil erosion mitigation technique. Forest residues such as chopped eucalypt bark mulch was spread over a group of erosion plots, and was compared to an untreated group of plots.
The mulching was applied at ratios of 8.7 and 10.8 Mg ha-1 provided an initial ground cover of 70 to 80%, and was found to reduce post-fire runoff by 40-50% and soil erosion by 85-90%, respectively.
Purpose of the Technology: The increase in ground cover will decrease post-fire soil erosion by reducing raindrop impact over the ashes and bare soil, and decrease the runoff amount by increasing water surface storage, decreasing runoff velocity, and increase infiltration.
Ideally, post-fire mulching must be carried out immediately after the fire, in order to prevent that the first autumn rainfall events fall over the bare and unprotected burnt soils. It is intended for places in which burnt severity was moderate to high and where there are important values at risk, such as water reservoirs, populations, industries, human and wild life.
Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: The chopped bark mulch was obtained at a depot 20 km from the burnt area, where eucalypt logs are debarked and then transported to a paper pulp factory. The bark is chopped into fibers and are typically transported to a biomass energy plant. We used these 10–15 cm wide 2–5 cm long bark fibers as the source for our mulching experiment. The chopped bark mulch decays very slowly (around 20% less ground cover per year) which was very useful in cases of low re-growth of natural vegetation.
Natural / human environment: The eucalypt trees in the region are typically planted as monocultures for paper pulp production, and harvested every 7-14 years. The landscape reflects a long history of intense land management, with a mosaic of (semi-)natural and man-made agricultural and afforested lands. Since the 1980´s, however, wildfires have increased dramatically in frequency and extent, aided by a general warming and drying trend but driven primarily by socio-economic changes.
Localização: Sever do vouga/ Pessegueiro do Vouga, Ermida, Portugal/Beira Litoral, Portugal
Nº de sites de tecnologia analisados:
Difusão da tecnologia: Uniformemente difundida numa área (approx. < 0,1 km2 (10 ha))
Em uma área permanentemente protegida?:
Data da implementação: menos de 10 anos atrás (recentemente)
Tipo de introdução
| Especifique a entrada | Unidade | Quantidade | Custos por unidade (Euro) | Custos totais por entrada (Euro) | % dos custos arcados pelos usuários da terra |
| Mão-de-obra | |||||
| Labour | ha | 1,0 | 192,0 | 192,0 | 100,0 |
| Equipamento | |||||
| Machine use | ha | 1,0 | 51,2 | 51,2 | 100,0 |
| Outros | |||||
| Forest residue mulch | ha | 1,0 | 307,6 | 307,6 | 100,0 |
| Others | ha | 1,0 | 64,1 | 64,1 | 100,0 |
| Custos totais para a implantação da tecnologia | 614.9 | ||||
| Custos totais para o estabelecimento da Tecnologia em USD | 788.33 | ||||
Eucalypt chopped bark mulch increases expenses if not funded by the Government
Less damage to off-site neighbouring properties
Public awareness of the technology is very limited. It is necessary to show it to landowners and stakeholders and increase dissemination.
If applied in large areas
If applied in large areas upslope
