This study investigates the effects of prescribed burning on the ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) community in two different habitats. A pine stand in Northern Portugal and a shrubland in a central region 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. It is suggested that some species/subspecies like Chrysocarabus lateralis, Petrophilus brevipennis sousai, Macrothorax rugosus celtiberus and Steropus globosus ebenus could be considered as indicator species/subspecies for fire managed areas in mediterranean ecosystems.