Lopez-Echartea

March 29, 2025

Wildfires have devastating impacts on landscapes and structures in their immediate path, but the long-term impact on the health of the soil left behind is still being studied. North Dakota is one of several states that have faced destructive wildfires in recent years.

Eglantina Lopez Echartea, NDSU assistant professor of AES microbiological sciences is looking further into possible soil contamination and other aftereffects of wildfires. She has received a National Science Foundation RAPID award for her research “Investigating the impact of wildfires on soil microbial communities and agricultural recovery in western North Dakota.”

The NSF RAPID award program is designed to support time-sensitive research that captures important data following natural disasters or unexpected events.

“Given the increasing frequency of wildfires, this funding was an opportunity to investigate their immediate impact on soil microbial communities and nutrient dynamics in agricultural areas,” Lopez Echartea said. “Unlike most wildfire studies, which focus on forests, our research examines agricultural soils, rangelands, and unmanaged ecosystems. We needed to act quickly to sample post-fire soils before seasonal changes and farming activities masked the microbial and nutrient shifts. This study will allow us to fill a critical knowledge gap about post-wildfire soil recovery and inform sustainable land management strategies.”

Lopez Echartea’s research has zeroed in on the bioremediation of contaminated soil. This includes looking at contaminated soil by organic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are man made chemicals that can cause several adverse health effects in humans. Petroleum hydrocarbons, which are chemical compounds that originally come from crude oil, also have health effects and are being studied. She is also exploring bioremediation technologies, such as bioreactors, which are used to improve soil health. Phytoremediation, which uses plants to clean up contaminated soil and water by removing, degrading or containing pollutants, and bioaugmentation, which is a treatment solution that harnesses microorganisms to safely degrade contaminants in industrial water, also are being examined by the research.

“Specifically, we aim to help landowners determine nutrients changes in burned areas compared to unburned soil, monitor shifts in microbial communities that may affect productivity and assess whether critical microbial functions, such as nitrogen fixation or phosphorous solubilization, were changed due to fire,” Lopez Echartea said. “Having this knowledge will help North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers build resilience as wildfires become more frequent, allowing them to make informed decisions to restore soil health and maintain agricultural productivity.”

NDSU Vice President for Research and Creative Activity Colleen Fitzgerald highlighted the significance of Dr. Lopez Echartea’s research, stating, “Dr. Lopez Echartea’s work exemplifies the value proposition that NDSU provides to North Dakota, which goes beyond the immediate devastation of wildfires by exploring their long-term impact on soil. Her findings will offer crucial insights to our agricultural producers, helping them make informed decisions for the future.”

Given that Lopez Echartea’s wildfire research project kicked off in March 2025, results are limited. Even so, she notes that there have been some useful early findings such as the observation that there was no significant decrease in germination in burnt soil compared to unburnt soil.

Echartea Lopez monitors wildfires in in the state and she’s noticed some trends. “I’ve already gained valuable insights into fire dynamics, particularly in North Dakota, where wildfires are increasing in frequency, size, and intensity, especially in areas that historically haven’t experienced them,” she said. “This rise is driven by a combination of drought conditions, strong winds, and human activities such as controlled burns, electrical failures, and oil flares, making these fires more unpredictable and harder to contain.

An unexpected finding by Echartea Lopez is that wildfires are now occurring earlier in the year, even during winter and early spring when the land is typically wetter. “This shift is extending the fire season and increasing risks to agricultural and rangeland soils,” she added.

Motunrayo Jibola-Shittu is a Ph.D. student who works for Lopez Echartea’s and is assisting with the wildfire research. “What interests me about the research on wildfires is that it is an opportunity for me to understand the impact of wildfires on soil microbial communities which play essential roles in soil functions and nutrient cycling processes,” she said. “It will also give insights to the roles of microorganisms in reclamation of wildfire-impacted soils, particularly for how agricultural productivity is impacted. I will not only be contributing to environmental sustainability, but also to agriculture and promoting food security.”

The focus on different land-use types—agricultural, rangeland, and unmanaged ecosystems—will allow for a holistic understanding of how the various landscapes respond to fire disturbances. This differentiation is crucial because the recovery trajectory of microbial communities may differ based on land management practices and natural ecosystem characteristics. One outcome of the research is to provide data for the state’s farmers and ranchers in order to help restore soil health.

“We are collaborating with NDSU Extension Services to share research outcomes and provide practical guidance on soil recovery,” Lopez Echartea said.

The project is supported by NSF Award #2521517.