Silva Lusitana 14(1): 85 - 100, 2006 © EFN, Lisboa. Portugal 85 Corresponding Author E-mail: lfnunes@mail.esa.ipcb.pt Carabid (Coleoptera) Community Changes Following Prescribed Burning and the Potential Use of Carabids as Indicators Species to Evaluate the Effects of Fire Management in Mediterranean Regions Luisa Nunes*, Israel Silva**, Marina Pité**, Francisco Rego***, Simon Leather**** and Artur Serrano***** *Professora Adjunta Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco. Departamento Florestal, Quinta. Senhora de Mércules, 6000 CASTELO BRANCO ** Bolseiros de Investigação ***Professor Associado c/Agregação Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves. Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 LISBOA ****Senior Professor Department of Biological Sciences. Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY. UK *****Professor Associado Faculdade de Ciências. Centro de Biologia Ambiental. Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Ernesto Vasconcelos, Ed. C2-3º, Campo Grande, 1749-016 LISBOA Abstract. This study investigates the effects of prescribed burning on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in two different habitats, a pine forest stand in Northern Portugal and a shrubland in a central region that were fire treated in spring of 1998. These two ecosystems were considerably different floristically as well as structurally. Pitfall trapping was performed for two years in the pine stand and three years in the shrubland. Species of dryer open habitats dominated after fire in the shrubland site while the pine stand habitat showed a more or less constant carabid community structure for all treatments. Some Carabid taxa such as species/subspecies like Chrysocarabus lateralis, Petrophilus brevipennis sousai, Macrothorax rugosus celtiberus and Steropus globosus ebenus may be considered as indicators for fire managed areas in Mediterranean ecosystems. Key words: Carabids; prescribed burning; Mediterranean ecosystems; Portugal Alterações nas Comunidades de Coleópteros Carabídeos após Fogo Controlado e o Uso destes Insectos como Potenciais Bio-Indicadores na Avaliação dos Efeitos do Fogo em Regiões Mediterrânicas Sumário. Este estudo investiga os efeitos do fogo controlado em comunidades de coleópteros carabideos em dois habitats distintos, um povoamento de pinheiro bravo no norte de Portugal e