Modelling potential abandonment and natural restoration of marginal olive groves in Andalusia (south of Spain)
Área de investigación:
Sin categoría
Año:
2008
Tipo de publicación:
Artículo
Autores:
Guzmán-Álvarez, José Ramón
Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael M.
Journal:
Journal of Land Use Science
Volumen:
3
Número:
2-3
Páginas:
113-129
Abstract:
Olive (Olea europaea) groves are the most frequent component of the landscape in the region of Andalusia (south of Spain). Part of this region can be considered marginal for agricultural purposes because of its low land suitability. Maintenance of this marginal land may involve environmental risks such as soil erosion and it eludes a sustainable use of resources. In this study, we propose a model to determine the potential for forest and shrubland restoration in a marginal olive field landscape. Physical marginality has been defined using topographical and edaphic factors. A decision support system based on geographic information system (GIS) has been developed to distinguish between marginal and non-marginal olive groves. The land evaluation model has been founded on land evaluation assessment, recognising as limiting factors the slope and a number of soil properties (depth, texture, fertility, salinity and CaCO3 content). As a result, 16.4% of the area of olive groves in Andalusia has been identified as being marginal. A restoration model has been used to study the potential of natural recovery. Accordingly, we have estimated that 75% of marginal olive groves in Andalusia could be afforested solely by natural processes. The remaining 25% of the marginal groves, meaning 4% of the overall area, requires measures to improve restoration to avoid soil degradation when abandoned.