The effect of forest fires and clearing of fire-destroyed stands on pedoecological conditions of natural forest regeneration

The study investigated the effect of forest fires and clearing of fire-destroyed stands on pedoecological conditions of forest regeneration in the Middle Ob pine forests. The study revealed that K content was elevated, pH changed to more neutral, and humus content (detritus) decreased in the upper layer of sod-podzolic soil. After clearing, the temperature of the upper soil layers increased somewhat and that of surface air increased 1.5–2 times. Air temperature was occasionally too high for pine seedlings to survive. The moisture content of the upper soil layer was up to 10% higher than on the control sites. The ecological conditions of the burned sites were generally hospitable for natural forest regeneration.