REPLACEMENT OF SOIL MAJOR ELEMENTS OF TRACE ELEMENTS CAUSED BY WILDFIRES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Soil samples were collected from both burned and neighboring unburned areas in Rocky Mountain National Park. Sampling was conducted in 40m x 40m plots, with 13 samples collected per plot. After digestion, the samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Element transfer between burned and unburned areas was observed across all samples. The study area is characterized by coarse sandy loam soil textures. The analysis revealed that soil samples from burned areas exhibited a reduction of at least 50% in major element concentrations (Fe, Mg, Ca, Al) compared to unburned areas. The most significant elemental losses included Fe and the loss of Al was less pronounced. The same soil samples from burned areas exhibited trace element concentrations increased by three orders of magnitude compared to adjacent unburned areas. This suggests that trace elements may substitute for the depleted major elements in the soils. The sequence of trace elements observed in soils shifted from Rb > Ce > Nd > Li in the unburned areas to Nd > Cs > Li > Ce > Rb in the burned areas. Future research will focus on investigating the transfer of elements as a function of fire severity to better understand these changes and their long-term implications.