The Australian continent is renowned for its intense Bush fires
which periodically remould its ecosystems. Increasingly though
it is realised that such fires occur periodically in all environments
from the tropics to the Arctic.
Another phenomenon which also modifies ecosystems in a drastic
fashion is 'Acid Deposition' or as it
is often termed, 'Acid Rain'. A striking
feature of fire and acid deposition is that they share many environmental
components and processes e.g. soil nutrient cycles. Also while
both are natural phenomena their influence on ecosystems has been
markedly distorted by human activities.
This
document sets out to examine whether fire alters the impacts of
acid deposition and whether land degradation, ascribed to acid
deposition, could be due instead to altered fire regimes. It brings
together ideas and information on the influences of fire and acid
deposition on soil chemistry to show how these two phenomena could
interact with one another. Of particular importance is the regulatory
role of soil buffering systems and steady state physico-chemical
processes, principally the weathering of minerals, and alkaline
atmospheric inputs.
Correspondence to: djroser@ozemail.com.au
Acknowledgements and Other Information