Post-Fire State of Taiga Soils and Vegetation of the Khamar-Daban Range (Cisbaikalia)

We have studied a naturally burnt forest in the Baikalsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve within the basin of the Mishikha River in the belt of dark-coniferous fir ( Abies sibirica ) taiga with Siberian pine ( Pinus sibirica ) on ferruginated stony burozems (Skeletic Cambisols (Humic, Protospodic)) and ferruginated metamorphosed lithozems (Cambic Leptosols (Humic, Protospodic)) in a habitat typical for mid-mountains of the northern macroslope of the Khamar-Daban Range. Changes in the soil and plant cover on the burnt plot have been compared with the background undisturbed forest landscape. The structure of the post-fire plant community has been significantly changed and simplified. The thickness of litter-peat horizons has decreased, new pyrogenic horizons have appeared, the concentration of labile carbon, ammonium, and labile nitrogen has dropped, and the content of labile phosphorus has increased. The total content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) has decreased after the fire due to the burnout of organic matter, adsorbing polyarenes. The content of a group of high-molecular weight PAHs in soils has significantly increased under the effect of fire.