Monitoring of Physicochemical Alterations and Carbon Quantification in Soil Plots Affected by Controlled Fire

This project addresses the impact of forest fires, a growing issue in Quito, on soil quality, evidenced by physical, chemical, and microbiological alterations. The main objective is to quantify these changes over one year in soil plots subjected to a controlled burn, using control plots for comparison. The study will be conducted on six plots provided by FONAG in the Miranda sector. Three plots will be burned, implementing firebreaks and coordinating with the fire department to mitigate risks. Key parameters will be measured before and after the fire, including soil temperature and moisture. Laboratory analyses will cover texture (Bouyoucus method), pH, electrical conductivity, Organic Matter (Walkley and Black method for organic carbon), Total Nitrogen (Kjeldahl method), macronutrients (atomic absorption spectroscopy), assimilable phosphorus (Burriel Hernando method and spectrophotometry), and soil hydrophobicity (WDPT and MED methods). Additionally, a biological baseline survey will be conducted. The resulting data will be statistically analyzed using ANOVA and multiple comparison tests to evaluate the significant differences induced by the fire.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To monitor the physicochemical parameters and carbon quantification in permanent soil plots affected by a controlled burn over a one-year period, comparing their changes against control plots.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Chemistry applied to life sciences