Cited by 5Fire effects on ecosystemsSoil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsEnvironmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones

Fire on the ground: Wildfires impacts on soil health and biodiversity – A review

Sousa-Lima, Lucas V., Saggioro, Enrico M., Dorneles, Paulo R., Parente, Cláudio E.T.·2025·Chemosphere

Abstract

The increasing occurrence of fire events is of great concern, as these events promote intense changes in soil environments, altering their physico-chemical composition and severely damaging organisms through a wide range of effects. Therefore, this review aimed to understand the different types of effects promoted by fire events on the soil and its organisms. Bibliographic searches were performed on different platforms, which returned a total of 109 investigations, which were grouped into different thematic axes. Fires promote extensive changes in soil composition, including by decreasing nutrient concentrations. In addition, an increase in toxic substances, such as PAHs, heavy metals and contaminants resulting from water used to control fires, was identified. Few studies have been carried out with the aim of understanding the ecotoxicological effects of contaminants generated by fires, with the majority of studies involving leachate, observing mainly acute mortality effects. Most of the studies found focused on understanding changes at the ecological level, with a special focus on microorganisms and animals, with few studies on plants. This review highlights the urgent need for ecotoxicological studies on the effects of fire-derived contaminants, particularly on soil organisms. There is also a pressing need for more ecological studies that adopt an integrated approach, incorporating multiple soil-dwelling species from different taxonomic groups to better reflect the complexity of natural ecosystems.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144686

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93 of 93 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Authors
Sousa-Lima, L. V., Saggioro, E. M., Dorneles, P. R., & Parente, C. E. T.
Affiliations
  • Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
  • Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (BR)
Corresponding author
Parente, Cláudio E.T.
Venue
Chemosphere
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2025-10
Volume
388
Pages
144686
ISSN
0045-6535 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4414168275
Cited by
5
References
93
Citations by year
2026: 5
FWCI
0.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Chemosphere (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of Rio de Janeiro State (E-21/201.271/2021)
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (304571/2021-0)
  • National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (409504/2024-6, 303248/2024-6, 303074/2025-6)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones
Keywords
forest fires, soil health, soil biodiversity, soil organisms, soil nutrient depletion, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, ecotoxicology, soil leachate, soil microbes, soil fauna
MeSH terms
Wildfires, Animals, Environmental Monitoring, Fires, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Soil, Soil Microbiology, Soil Pollutants, Ecosystem, Metals, Heavy, Biodiversity

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