Soil Biological Activity in Chornobyl Exclusion Zone Following 2016 Wildfire

Soil chemistry and biological activity data from 23 sites in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine, collected in September 2016, March 2017, and September 2017. The dataset includes pH, soil moisture, Loss on Ignition, ground burn extent, and ambient dose rate measurements to evaluate wildfire impact on soil organisms. Data collection was funded by the NERC REDFIRE project.

Use Cases

• Model soil biological activity response to ground burn extent and ambient dose rate across three sampling periods.
• Analyze correlations between soil chemistry variables like pH and soil moisture with biological activity measurements.
• Assess temporal changes in Loss on Ignition (LOI) and other soil properties following a severe wildfire event.

Strengths

• Data collected at 23 distinct sites with three replicate plots per site, providing spatial replication.
• Includes three temporal sampling points (Sep 2016, Mar 2017, Sep 2017) for observing post-fire recovery.
• Combines soil chemistry (pH, moisture, LOI), biological activity, burn extent, and radiation (ambient dose rate) measurements.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to 23 sites within a single geographic region, restricting generalizability.
• Temporal coverage is limited to a 12-month period post-fire, lacking long-term trend data.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Information Data Centre, via UKCEH, Chornobyl Centre for Nuclear Safety, and University of Salford.

Collection Method

Field measurements at site locations, including soil sampling and application of bait lamina sticks.

Time Range

September 2016, March 2017, September 2017.

Freshness

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Geography

Chornobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ), Ukraine.