Item Number: 10357
A prescribed burn in Eucalyptus pauciflora forest increased the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the forest floor, which in turn increased surface soil temperatures and the rate of drying of the litter layer after rain. The rate of decomposition of leaf litter was significantly reduced on burnt sites. The practical and ecological implications of the rapid re-accumulation of litter which occurs after prescribed burning in snowgum forests are briefly discussed.