Prescribed fire and its effects on soil aggregation stability

Aggregation stability is a fundamental property for promoting the health and proper functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. This property is related to the soil's ability to keep its particles aggregated forming a pore structure that favors water infiltration root development and reduces soil loss through erosion. However anthropogenic activities such as fires due to their high intensity are capable of significantly impacting soil characteristics. In order to reduce the occurrence of forest fires the use of prescribed burning is a common practice in Portugal. Due to its lower intensity and duration its impacts are usually less on the soil.