Forest fires, whether planned or not, usually decrease the total amount of nutrients through some combination of oxidation, volatilization, ash transport, leaching, and erosion. While reduced site nutrient capital can reduce forest productivity, the amount of nutrients found on site and nutrient availability are not always tightly linked, especially when soil nutrients are considered. Though fire can diminish total nutrient pool quantities, nutrient availability often increases, and the pools that are affected most by fire (e.g., fuels) can be small compared to other nutrient pools, such as mineral and organic soil layers.
Used with permission from Forest Encyclopedia Network, http://fire.forestencyclopedia.net/
