The lecturer, Dr. Kadum Mohammed Abdullah, published a scientific research paper in cooperation with a research team from the Australian university (Griffith University) on the nutrients cycling, especially the nitrogen and carbon elements under the impact of the controlled fire system that is followed in many countries where wild fires occur in its forests.
The study was conducted in forests called Suburban Forest which is close to residential areas. Low intensity and controlled fires are carried out to reduce the intensity of natural fires that this forest can be exposed to during dry seasons. In this research, the isotopes of carbon (C13) and nitrogen (N15) in the soils and litterfall were measured at different periods from the date of burning to know the negative and positive impact of this method of fires and to know the time range that this ecosystem needs for recovery and return to the state of balance of nutrients during a complete burning cycle. The amount of litterfall was also measured and its chemical content was analysed due to its vital role in the nutrient cycle in nature. The relationship of data with weather and climate data was also studied.
The research was published in the Journal of Soils and Sediments with a 2.669 impact factor and is within Q1. This research is from a series of research papers that have been published and others are under way to study the impact of this fire system on the entire components of the ecosystem in these forests until the completion of the project.
