ABSTRACT
Wildfires not only consume the vegetation in their path, but also affect soil properties, watershed response, and downstream sedimentation. Within a watershed, post-fire hydrologic and sediment responses are often a function of burn severity and the occurrence of rain events. For a wide range of burn
severities, the impacts on hydrology and soil loss can be minimal in the absence of intense precipitation. However, when a large precipitation event follows a moderate-to high-burn severity fire, impacts can include increased runoff and peakflows, flooding, erosion, and sediment delivery to streams (Anderson et al. 1976, DeBano et al. 1998, Rinne 1996). After the burning of forest vegetation, increased erosion and flooding are the most visible and dramatic impacts of a wildfire (Robichaud et al. 2000). This chapter examines post-fire stabilization and rehabilitation techniques for forest, shrubland, and grassland ecosystems of western North America. However, much of the content is applicable to any area where the effects of wildfires may require mitigation to protect life, property, or habitat.
