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Description
The hillslopes affected by the large Picões wildfire (2013, 14,912 ha) persist as an extensive source of sediment transported to the Baixo-Sabor reservoir. On the one hand, the vegetation cover, which is slowly recovering over severely degraded soils, is insufficient to prevent erosive runoff on these steep slopes. On the other, the continuous loss of soil and nutrients does not make it possible to achieve the edaphic conditions necessary for the recovery of vegetation cover and the restoration of the degraded ecosystem. A restoration strategy in this context should focus on protecting the most hydrologically relevant surfaces that are poorly covered, aiming to generate in-locus infiltration and promote soil water and carbon (C) storage, soil biological activity and, consequently, the recolonization by vegetation. The project aims, in a pilot area of c. 100 ha, at implementing, and demonstrating their effectiveness, of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) for the protection of soils degraded by the large Picões wildfire, in view promoting the restoration of ecosystem services, such as soil retention, soil C and water storage, and the water quality of the Baixo-Sabor reservoir.