“Self-prevention: a strategy for preventing forest fires in the central Iberian boundary

Abstract

“Self-Prevention” is a transboundary project that aims to reintroduce 150 thousand of goats in order to clean the lands of Bragança and Guarda districts (Portugal) and Salamanca and Zamora provinces (Spain), mainly at herbaceous and woody level, and thus prevent the occurrence of forest fire in these areas. The present work aims to analyze and discuss the environmental consequences of implementing this strategy, particularly at ground level, comparing the hydrogeomorphic response of soils under different land uses and land covers, soils with the dominant shrubcover (Cytisus multiflorus), soils after the occurrence of forest fires, soils with pasture (following the introduction of extensive grazing), and, lastly, soils subject to manual control of dominant shrub communities.