Centro de Ciências e Tecnologias da Água

Serra do Caldeirão is located in the south of Portugal. Has a high economic and ecological value. In the last century, it was occur to severe degradation of soil. Recently it was also subject to intense forest fires In the present study we evaluated the regeneration of a burnt on 2004 area. We characterized landscape intrinsic factors, present  anthropogenic factors and the vegetation regeneration level, one year and a half after the fire. We identified connections with sun exposure and level of system degradation. Different
responses were identified, related to sun exposure and degradation level of the system. The mature and diversified systems showed an obvious and faster recovery. Systems with greater exposure to stress factors, impoverished, have had a more difficult regeneration. Although the characteristics of strong resilience of the cork oak to fire, the regeneration capacity may be compromised, knowing the trends associated with global warming.