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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Prescribed fire is a common forest management tool used in Portugal to reduce the fuel load
availability and minimize the occurrence of wildfires. In addition, the use of this technique also
causes an impact to ecosystems.
In this presentation we propose to illustrate some results of our project in two forest sites, both
located in Northwest Portugal, where the effect of prescribed fire on soil properties were recorded
during a period of 6 months. Changes in soil moisture, organic matter, soil pH and iron, were
examined by Principal Component Analysis multivariate statistics technique in order to determine
impact of prescribed fire on these soil properties in these two different types of soils and determine
the period of time that these forest soils need to recover to their pre-fire conditions, if they can
indeed recover.
Although the time allocated to this study does not allow for a widespread conclusion, the data
analysis clearly indicates that the pH values are positively correlated with iron values at both sites.
In addition, geomorphologic differences between both sampling sites, Gramelas and Anjos, are
relevant as the soils’ properties considered have shown different performances in time. The use of
prescribed fire produced a lower impact in soils originated from more amended bedrock and
therefore with a ticker humus covering (Gramelas) than in more rocky soils with less litter
covering (Anjos) after six months after the prescribed fire occurrence.
Description
Keywords
Prescribed fire Soil properties Multivariate statistics
Citation
Publisher
Universidade de Coimbra