JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

Ash and coal produced from fire influence the soil and few studies about these effects are available. For this purpose, this study was performed to investigate the effect of ash and coal on hydrological, physical and chemical properties of soil in Charat rangeland that has a history of fire. Systematic-random sampling was implemented in two plant types Astragalus gossypinus and Artemisia aucheri using 6 transects and 60 4m² quadrates and plant and soil samples were obtained. Experimental treatments including control soil, composition soil and ash were prepared manually and also with artificial rain, composition soil and coal manually and also with artificial rain in the laboratory and characteristics of the texture, saturation moisture, pH, organic matter, field capacity, wilting point, available water and retention capacity were measured. ANOVA results for mean comparison soil, ash and coal properties showed that ash had more percent of silt and pH than soil and organic matter and lower bulk density than soil. In addition, multivariate analysis to show the effect of two types of treatments showed that manual composition of ash and coal with soil had increased field capacity and available water while composition of soil and coal with artificial rain had no significant effect on them. According to the results of this study, the presence of ash and coal resulted from burning vegetation caused great changes in soil properties, especially water retention.