About this Research Topic
Wildfires have the potential to cause significant disruptions to the natural water cycle within watersheds, leading to far-reaching impacts. Beyond the evident detrimental effects on vegetation and soil properties, the hydrological and erosive response in burned areas triggers the mobilization of various constituents, including sediments, ash, contaminants, and nutrients. These elements can have profound consequences on downstream waterbodies. These "off-site impacts” compromise aquatic ecosystems, jeopardize the availability of drinking water, and pose serious threats to human and animal health. Moreover, wildfire could potentially impact the hydrological dynamics by alternating the flow magnitude and timing, therefore influencing the water availability and resources management.
While the scientific community has traditionally studied wildfire impacts mostly by experimental approaches (field or laboratory work), recent advancements have emerged in the form of numerical models that integrate hydrological and water quality models for rivers and reservoirs/lakes. These innovative approaches show promise in predicting the potential negative impacts of wildfires across different scales and under various climate and land use scenarios.
The primary objective of this Research Topic is to showcase the latest research and developments encompassing all fields related to post-fire impacts on water quality in watersheds. It aims to accomplish two key goals: (i) fostering a better understanding of the underlying processes involved in the impact of wildfires on downstream water quality and quantity within watersheds, and (ii) enhancing prevention plans and enabling informed post-fire land management decisions.
This Research Topic seeks to compile reviews on the current knowledge while welcoming recent advancements from diverse disciplines concerning the impact of wildfires on water quality and availability along watersheds. Authors are encouraged to submit their work in one of the various article types accepted by Frontiers, including Case Reports, Original Research, Brief Research reports, Perspective papers, Reviews, and Methods.
By bringing together a comprehensive collection of studies in this Research Topic Issue, we aim to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between wildfires, hydrologic dynamics, and water quality, while also providing valuable insights for effective management strategies. We invite researchers from different disciplines to contribute their expertise, fostering a multidisciplinary dialogue that will pave the way for enhanced wildfire impact mitigation and watershed management practices.
While the scientific community has traditionally studied wildfire impacts mostly by experimental approaches (field or laboratory work), recent advancements have emerged in the form of numerical models that integrate hydrological and water quality models for rivers and reservoirs/lakes. These innovative approaches show promise in predicting the potential negative impacts of wildfires across different scales and under various climate and land use scenarios.
The primary objective of this Research Topic is to showcase the latest research and developments encompassing all fields related to post-fire impacts on water quality in watersheds. It aims to accomplish two key goals: (i) fostering a better understanding of the underlying processes involved in the impact of wildfires on downstream water quality and quantity within watersheds, and (ii) enhancing prevention plans and enabling informed post-fire land management decisions.
This Research Topic seeks to compile reviews on the current knowledge while welcoming recent advancements from diverse disciplines concerning the impact of wildfires on water quality and availability along watersheds. Authors are encouraged to submit their work in one of the various article types accepted by Frontiers, including Case Reports, Original Research, Brief Research reports, Perspective papers, Reviews, and Methods.
By bringing together a comprehensive collection of studies in this Research Topic Issue, we aim to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between wildfires, hydrologic dynamics, and water quality, while also providing valuable insights for effective management strategies. We invite researchers from different disciplines to contribute their expertise, fostering a multidisciplinary dialogue that will pave the way for enhanced wildfire impact mitigation and watershed management practices.
Keywords: water quality, watershed hydrology, land management, postfire processes, wildfires, numerical modelling
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
