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Project properties |
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| Title | Post-fire wind erosion in the coastal zone of north-central Portugal |
| Group | Soil Physics and Land Management group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 24-39 |
| Supervisor(s) | Michel Riksen |
| Examiner(s) | Coen Ritsema |
| Contact info | michel.riksen@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2019/04/01 |
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| Description | As widely known, 2017 was a particularly dramatic year in Portugal in terms of fatalities by wildfires. Also the total area burnt was exceptional in 2017, well-exceeding those of the record years of 2003 and 2005. This included a very substantial part of the (sub-)littoral pine plantation areas that are being managed by the Portuguese Institute for Nature Conservation and Forestry (ICNF) and had originally been planted to control wind erosion and moving sand dunes, ranging from 50 to 90 % in the various management units. One of the most heavily affected area is the so-called Mata Nacional de Leiria, which comprises some 11.000 ha that started to be planted with pine back in the 13th century and, as such, has a particular emblematic social-cultural value in Portugal. The ICNF invited the Portuguese scientific community to assist with the planning and monitoring of the recovery of the burnt (sub-)littoral pine plantations. The ESP team has assumed a coordinating role on assessing the risk of erosion by water and especially wind, proposing measures to mitigate these risks, and monitoring erosion processes and the effectiveness of the implemented soil conservation measures. The envisaged MSc thesis study focuses on measuring wind erosion in the most vulnerable burnt areas (see picture on the right, showing a pine stand that had been logged shortly before the wildfire), by designing and setting-up a field experiment and collecting data and samples through regular field trips. However, it could also include a wind erosion risk modelling component. |
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