To study postfire runoff and soil erosion we installed bounded test plots (3 m * 10 m) on three recently burned sweet chestnut coppice test sites with different fire frequencies.
First results show that runoff from burned areas in the first postfire year can be six times greater than runoff  from unburned areas during heavy rainfall events. On average runoff is up to two times higher during the first postfire year. Double ring infiltrometer experiments on the test site with medium fire frequency further showed that the rate of infiltration of water under burned conditions is much lower than under unburned conditions. Soil loss reached up to 150 kg/30 m² in the first two postfire years on the test site with low fire frequency. On  the other hand, there was no soil erosion on the test site with high fire frequency, even though the slope is almost as steep as the former and the rainfall erosivity comparable. In contrast to the test site with low fire  frequency vegetation regrowth at the test site with high fire frequency was already very fast in the first postfire year.