Between July and October, the Peruvian Andes face a high incidence of forest fires that threaten the natural flora. In the region of Arequipa, characterized by dry and arid volcanic soils, the impact of fire is particularly serious, as these substrates have a high water repellency, making ecosystem regeneration difficult after disasters.
In September 2018, a fire consumed about 2,000 hectares of shrubland on the Pichu Pichu volcano, an ecologically valuable area. Unlike Mediterranean ecosystems, where vegetation has developed fire resistance mechanisms, Arequipa’s volcanic soils lack this adaptive capacity.
Researchers from the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) and the National University of San Agustín de Arequipa (UNSA) analyzed soil samples at 3,700 meters above sea level in the affected area. Their findings, published in the Spanish Journal of Soil Science, reveal a significant loss of organic carbon due to combustion and post-fire erosion, compromising soil fertility and vegetation recovery.
## Soils with low water retention capacity
One of the critical problems identified is the difficulty of these soils to absorb water. Their high proportion of sand and the loss of organic matter intensify water repellency, causing liquid to run off instead of filtering. Without vegetation to retain moisture, erosion accelerates, worsening ecosystem degradation.
Researcher Minerva García Carmona, from UMH, explains that unlike Mediterranean soils, which retain water effectively, Andean volcanic soils lose this capacity after fires. Additionally, the study highlighted that soil degradation varies depending on the predominant vegetation. In areas dominated by Berberis lutea (“yellow stick of Peru”), the impact was more severe due to its higher fuel biomass.
## Risks and mitigation strategies
The Arequipa region, considered a “cold desert” due to its low precipitation and extreme temperatures, relies on the water retention of its soils to sustain its ecosystem. In collaboration with local peasant communities and the Arequipa Forestry Service, researchers seek strategies to increase soil resilience against fire.
According to Jorge Mataix Solera, an expert in soil science, understanding the response of these soils to fires is key to developing prevention and restoration plans. With the increase in fires due to climate change, research in this region is crucial to mitigate the ecological impact and ensure the sustainability of these fragile ecosystems.
## What are the characteristics of fragile ecosystems?
Fragile ecosystems are natural spaces with unique characteristics that are at risk due to various factors, such as deserts, semi-arid lands, mountains, wetlands, small islands, certain coastal areas, moors, and high-altitude Andean grasslands.
Among their characteristics are that:
– They are areas of high conservation value
– They have a great richness of flora and fauna species
– They harbor threatened and endemic species
– They have high rates of species turnover or population fluctuations
– They are unstable to major events caused by humans or nature
– They have low capacity to return to their original conditions
– Risk factors such as human pressure, desertification, and drought.
Fragile ecosystems are important because they have unique characteristics and resources, making their fragility a central criterion for assessment in conservation management.
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