Effects of fire and torrential rainfall on erosion in a Mediterranean gorse community

Wildland fires and torrential rainfall are important factors affecting Mediterranean nature and human society. In this paper, we investigate their combined impact on a fire‐prone vegetation community at the east coast of Spain. Our results show that shrub cover provides an effective control of erosion even under simulated extreme rainfall events. After fire, soil erosion increased noticeably; however, the amount of sediment produced varied greatly, which can be explained by variations in fire severity. The quantity of litter debris after the fire plays a decisive role in controlling the erosion that follows. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.