The Legacy of a Severe Wildfire on Stream Nitrogen and Carbon in Headwater Catchments
Abstract
Large, high-severity wildfires alter the physical and biological conditions that determine how catchments retain and release nutrients and regulate streamwater quality. The short-term water quality impacts of severe wildfire are often dramatic, but the longer-term responses may better reflect terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem recovery. We followed streamwater chemistry for 14 years after the largest fire in recorded Colorado history, the 2002 Hayman Fire, to characterize patterns in nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) export. Throughout the post-fire period, stream nitrate and total dissolved N (TDN) remained elevated in 10 burned catchments relative to pre-burn periods and 4 unburned control catchments. Both the extent of fire in a catchment and wildfire severity influenced stream N concentrations. Nitrate was more than an order of magnitude higher in streams draining catchments that burned to a high extent (> 60% of their areas) compared to unburned catchments. Unburned catchments retained more than 95% of atmospheric N inputs, but N retention in burned catchments was less than half of N inputs. Unlike N, stream C was elevated in catchments that burned to a lesser extent (30–60% of their areas burned), compared to either unburned or extensively burned catchments. Remotely sensed estimates of upland and riparian vegetation cover suggest that burned forests could require several more decades before forest cover and nutrient demand return to pre-fire levels. The persistent stream N increases we report are below drinking water thresholds, but exceed ecoregional reference concentrations for healthy stream ecosystems and indicate that extensively burned headwater catchments no longer function as strong sinks for atmospheric N. Combined with increasing trends in wildfire severity and elevated N deposition, our findings demonstrate the potential for substantial post-wildfire changes in ecosystem N retention and have implications for nutrient export to downstream waters.
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The extent of fire in the watershed can impact concentrations observed, though this is often underreported.
“Likewise, the extent of the fire in the watershed can also impact concentrations observed, though this is often underreported (Rhoades et al., 2019).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Rhoades et al., 2019
Severely burned catchments can take longer to recover and the longest measured duration was up to 14 yr.
“Severely burned catchments can take longer to recover (Rhoades et al., 2019) and the longest measured duration was up to 14 yr (Figure 3).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Rhoades et al., 2019
The long nitrogen duration was attributed to slow rate of upland and riparian recovery post-fire due to severity of fire and increased drought.
“This was attributed to the slow rate of upland and riparian recovery post-fire at this particular site due to the severity of the fire and increased drought (Rhoades et al., 2019).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Rhoades et al., 2019
The maximum reported duration was for nitrogen, with severe fires in Colorado resulting in elevated nitrate/total dissolved nitrogen concentrations 14 yr after the fire.
“However, the maximum reported duration was for nitrogen (Figure 3), with severe fires in Colorado resulting in elevated nitrate/total dissolved nitrogen concentrations 14 yr after the fire (Rhoades et al., 2019).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Rhoades et al., 2019
The median duration of organic carbon responses was less than 5 yr, but has been reported for as long as 10-14 yr.
“The median duration of organic carbon responses was less than 5 yr, but has been reported for as long as 10–14 yr (Rhoades et al., 2019, Figure 3).”
From Wildfire Induces Changes in Receiving Waters: A Review With Considerations for Water Quality Management (2022) · cites this paper as Rhoades et al., 2019
Cites
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Self-citationSilins, U., Bladon, K. D., Kelly, E. N., Esch, E., Spence, J. R., Stone, M., Emelko, M. B., Boon, S., Wagner, M. J., Williams, C. H. S., et al. (2014) · Ecohydrology · doi:10.1002/eco.1474 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
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Wildfires Alter Forest Watersheds and Threaten Drinking Water Quality
Hohner, A. K., Rhoades, C. C., Wilkerson, P., & Rosario-Ortiz, F. L. (2019) · Accounts of Chemical Research · doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.8b00670 · Cited by 237 · see citing works
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“, 2015), especially as these impacts can last for many years (e.g., Emelko et al., 2016; Minshall et al., 2001; Rhoades et al., 2019).”
Influential
- Authors
- Rhoades, C. C., Chow, A. T., Covino, T. P., Fegel, T. S., Pierson, D. N., & Rhea, A. E.
- Affiliations
- US Forest Service (US)
- Clemson University (US)
- Colorado State University (US)
- Oregon State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Rhoades, Charles C.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Ecosystems
- Published
- 2018-08-24
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 643-657
- ISSN
- 1432-9840 (ISSN-L)
- 1435-0629
- OpenAlex
- W2888612053
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 6.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Ecosystems (publishedVersion, public-domain)
- Funders
- US Forest Service (National Fire Plan Program)
- Joint Fire Sciences Program (JFSP# 14-1-06-11)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Keywords
- forest fires, stream nitrate, nitrogen retention, total dissolved nitrogen, nutrient export, headwater catchments, post-fire recovery, burned area, wildfire severity, nitrogen deposition, stream water quality, riparian vegetation cover
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