The effect of prescribed fires on abiotic and biotic factors in the southern region of Puerto Rico

Field fires can modify soil nutrient cycling and alter microbial communities (SMC), although the latter is not well understood. In southern region of Puerto Rico, field have become a significant problem during dry season. To mimic effects fire, we performed prescribed on hillside at Juana Díaz Agricultural Experiment substation in October 2015 March 2017. A complete randomized block design was established Yauco (Typic calciustolls) that included following treatments: negative control (unburned), positive (burned plots, no remediation), mulching treatment plots remediated with Leucaena spp. mulch), surfactant surfactant). first burning (2015), samples were collected before 30, 180, 420 days after (DAB). second (2017), 90, 270 DAb. physicochemical properties community structure assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Overall, increased exchangeable Ca2+ (except 30 DAB burning) decreased K+ when compared to unburned soils. total fungal PLFA significantly lower burned or without mulch treatments, bacterial did differ between days. Total biomass (P<0.05) higher treated 90 (2017) (2015) DAB. The use treatments fields This study emphasizes short-term changes suggests they are highly resilient disturbances fires.