Image credit: ABC News

A team from the University of Adelaide is closely following the impact the Sampson Flat bushfire has had on the soil beneath it. The team is collecting hundreds of soil samples from the burnt and unaffected forest areas to assess the difference, particularly in soil nutrients and the presence of organic matter.

PhD student Erinne Stirling (left) will take samples at various times of the year to assess seasonal effects and measure organic matter and the activity of microbes in the soil.

“By studying nutrient cycling in soils after the fire we will have a clearer understanding of how long it takes for soil functions to recover and what factors influence the recovery,” she said.

Read the full story: http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-26/sampson-flat-bushfire-soil-recovery-could-take-years/6724650