Results/Conclusions Results indicate that the fire significantly reduced the size of soil nutrient stores, although pre-existing differences in N and P availability between control and N-treated plots remained. Temporal variation in nutrient availability and leaching was high, reflecting patterns in microbial activity and climate. Microbial community composition was dynamic, with clear differences apparent between both unburnt and burnt areas, and control and N-treated plots. The persistence of clear N treatment-related differences in community structure following a high impact, high temperature fire was surprising, and suggests that below-ground effects of N deposition are likely to be highly persistent. Vegetation recovery following fire showed clear effects of N treatment, reflecting patterns in both nutrient availability and microbial community composition. Evidence from the study to date indicates that, although severe summer fires have the potential to remove a proportion of accumulated soil nutrient stores, deposition-driven differences in nutrient availability, microbial community composition and vegetation performance remain, at least in the short term.