Assessment of short-term post-wildfire changes in soil physicochemical characteristics in vineyard soils in Cyprus
Date Issued
May 2026
Author(s)
Zacharias, Kouis
Advisor
Abstract
Viticulture in Cyprus is firmly combatting new threats posed by climate change resulting in rising temperatures, increased winds and droughts, consequently creating favorable conditions for wildfires. Unfortunately, such an even occurred in Limassol region, Cyprus in July 2025 resulting in 120.7 km2 of burned land, including agriculture areas mostly consisting of grapevine cultivations. Wildfire induced changes in soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties due to high temperatures and ash incorporation in the soil matrix making the need for environmental restoration and regeneration essential.
Several impacts such as decreased clay content and weakened soil stability, higher pH, reduced EC, differences in soil respiration, decline of soil microorganisms, and an overall decline in soil structure are provoked in fire-affected sites. The aim of the present study is to provide a preliminary evaluation of these wildfire-induced changes regarding soil physicochemical characteristics by comparing selected burned and unburned soil samples.
Implementing a comparative sampling design, two vineyards within the affected region with burned points and nearby unburned control points representing similar soil and environmental conditions were selected, located in the villages of Agios Ambrosios and Potamiou, cultivating the Lefkada and Xinisteri variety respectively. Samples were collected 50 days post-fire from burned (B1-5) and unburned (U1-5) points from each site. Soil texture was determined by the hydrometer method, while soil pH was determined with a pH meter in a 1:5 sample-to-water suspension. The same suspension was used for soil EC measurements using a benchtop conductivity meter. Field measurements were conducted using the on-field diagnostic CARBONICA Toolbox. On-field measurements including ΔCO2 estimations were conducted using a chambered CO2 data logger in 30 minutes intervals; soil temperature and water content were measured with a high accuracy pocket tester. For the infiltrations, two intervals of 500 ml of water each were applied in-situ, using the single-ring infiltration method.
Results indicate notable differences between burned and unburned vineyard soils across several measured parameters. Burned soils exhibited a decrease in the percentage of clay particles in the soil matrix. The presence of ash rich in basifying cations led to a slight increase on burned surfaces’ pH and a decline in EC values compared to unburned surfaces. There was a trend of higher ΔCO2 values in burned than unburned replicates. Soil Temperature increase in burned replicates owed to direct sunlight and elimination of vegetation interception and plant evapotranspiration.
Preliminary insights of the post-fire dynamics underscore the importance of monitoring soil responses following wildfire disturbances, since their acknowledgment is essential for evaluating soil recovery processes and apprising management strategies in fire-prone regions. Future research analyses with expanded sampling will bestow on to a more comprehensive understanding of wildfire impacts on agricultural soils in Cyprus.
Several impacts such as decreased clay content and weakened soil stability, higher pH, reduced EC, differences in soil respiration, decline of soil microorganisms, and an overall decline in soil structure are provoked in fire-affected sites. The aim of the present study is to provide a preliminary evaluation of these wildfire-induced changes regarding soil physicochemical characteristics by comparing selected burned and unburned soil samples.
Implementing a comparative sampling design, two vineyards within the affected region with burned points and nearby unburned control points representing similar soil and environmental conditions were selected, located in the villages of Agios Ambrosios and Potamiou, cultivating the Lefkada and Xinisteri variety respectively. Samples were collected 50 days post-fire from burned (B1-5) and unburned (U1-5) points from each site. Soil texture was determined by the hydrometer method, while soil pH was determined with a pH meter in a 1:5 sample-to-water suspension. The same suspension was used for soil EC measurements using a benchtop conductivity meter. Field measurements were conducted using the on-field diagnostic CARBONICA Toolbox. On-field measurements including ΔCO2 estimations were conducted using a chambered CO2 data logger in 30 minutes intervals; soil temperature and water content were measured with a high accuracy pocket tester. For the infiltrations, two intervals of 500 ml of water each were applied in-situ, using the single-ring infiltration method.
Results indicate notable differences between burned and unburned vineyard soils across several measured parameters. Burned soils exhibited a decrease in the percentage of clay particles in the soil matrix. The presence of ash rich in basifying cations led to a slight increase on burned surfaces’ pH and a decline in EC values compared to unburned surfaces. There was a trend of higher ΔCO2 values in burned than unburned replicates. Soil Temperature increase in burned replicates owed to direct sunlight and elimination of vegetation interception and plant evapotranspiration.
Preliminary insights of the post-fire dynamics underscore the importance of monitoring soil responses following wildfire disturbances, since their acknowledgment is essential for evaluating soil recovery processes and apprising management strategies in fire-prone regions. Future research analyses with expanded sampling will bestow on to a more comprehensive understanding of wildfire impacts on agricultural soils in Cyprus.
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