Jeoloji Münendisliği Dergisi

Studying the Effects of Forest Fire on the Consistency Limits of Sandy Soils: A Case Study, Kozağaç, Muğla

ABSTRACT:The changes in physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of topsoil after forest fires, and their effect on erosion risk, have been previously studied in different geographical regions and ecosystems. It is well known that the risk of erosion increases after fire due to the loss of shear strength and the changes in hydraulic properties.Consistency limits are strongly related to the shear strength of the soil. Nevertheless, few studies have evaluated the consistency limits of naturally burned soils. In addition, determining the consistency limits of sandy soils can be very challenging due to their low plasticity. The temperatures produced by the forest fire that occurred on the left flank of an irrigation dam in Muğla, Kozağaç village, affected the topsoil. Therefore grain size distribution, soil organic content (SOM), and Atterberg limits of 24 soil specimens collected from the burned and unburned locations were studied. It was found that the grain size distribution of the burned soil did not significantly change, whereas clay content and Atterberg limits increased, and SOM decreased. The methodology followed in this study and the results can serve as a base for future studies of the effect of fire on sandy soils.