Fire in agricultural and forestal ecosystems. The effects on soil

What kind of fire can we expect in a specific environment? what outcomes? Although we can not always predict fires, we can scientifically predict their consequences and thus prevent some of them. Giovannini's research in soil-fire interactions is intended to serve as an overview on the topic and as a guide both in basic ecosystem research dealing with fires and in fire fighting. This book is written for ecologists, foresters, wildlife and park managers and young scientists who work in the field of forest fire and soil. The book is intended to serve at least two purposes. The first purpose is to give an overview of the great and interconnected complexity of the impact of fire on soil. The second purpose is to offer a guide for three types of users: i) colleagues involved in basic research on the effect of fire on ecosystems, ii) people dealing with the preparation of computer managed programs, and iii) managers involved in fire fighting activities. This guide is designed to predict, in the event of the fire, the temperatures that may develop at the soils surface and the resulting modifications to the soil, starting from a simple evaluation of the available burnable fuel, or for prediction and prevention of soil erosion risks. Giacomo Giovannini is Doctor in Chemistry graduated at the University of Pisa. At the Institute of Soil Chemistry (ICT), which later merged into the larger Institute for Studies on Ecosystems (ISE) of the National Council of Research (CNR), in Pisa, he studied the organo-mineral complex and soil cementing substances of soil, soil structure and soil erosion, the hydrophobic substances and water repellence of soil. He has directed the research, funded by CEC DG XII, on the impact of fire on soil. Giacomo Giovannini is the author of 75 scientific papers published in international journals, proceedings of meetings and monographs.