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12 pages, 2055 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Critical Environmental Issues Confirm the Relevance of Abandoned Agricultural Land

by Noemí Lana-Renault, Estela Nadal-Romero, Erik Cammeraat and José Ángel Llorente

Water 2020, 12(4), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041119 - 14 Apr 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3083

Abstract

Large areas worldwide have been affected by farmland abandonment and subsequent plant colonization with significant environmental consequences. Although the process of farmland abandonment has slowed down, vegetation recovery in abandoned lands is far from complete. In addition, agricultural areas and pasture lands with [...] Read more.

Large areas worldwide have been affected by farmland abandonment and subsequent plant colonization with significant environmental consequences. Although the process of farmland abandonment has slowed down, vegetation recovery in abandoned lands is far from complete. In addition, agricultural areas and pasture lands with low-intensity activities could be abandoned in the near future. In this foreword, we review current knowledge of the impacts of farmland abandonment on water resources and soil conservation, and we highlight the open questions that still persist, in particular regarding terraced landscapes, afforested areas, abandonment of woody crops, traditional irrigated fields, solute yields, long-term trends in the response of abandoned areas, and the management of abandoned farmland. This Special Issue includes seven contributions that illustrate recent research into the hydrological, geomorphological, and edaphological consequences of farmland abandonment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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Research

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27 pages, 5462 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiple Temporal Scales Assessment in the Hydrological Response of Small Mediterranean-Climate Catchments

by Josep Fortesa, Jérôme Latron, Julián García-Comendador, Miquel Tomàs-Burguera, Jaume Company, Aleix Calsamiglia and Joan Estrany

Water 2020, 12(1), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010299 - 19 Jan 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3733

Abstract

Mediterranean-climate catchments are characterized by significant spatial and temporal hydrological variability caused by the interaction of natural as well human-induced abiotic and biotic factors. This study investigates the non-linearity of rainfall-runoff relationship at multiple temporal scales in representative small Mediterranean-climate catchments (i.e., <10 [...] Read more.

Mediterranean-climate catchments are characterized by significant spatial and temporal hydrological variability caused by the interaction of natural as well human-induced abiotic and biotic factors. This study investigates the non-linearity of rainfall-runoff relationship at multiple temporal scales in representative small Mediterranean-climate catchments (i.e., <10 km²) to achieve a better understanding of their hydrological response. The rainfall-runoff relationship was evaluated in 43 catchments at annual and event—203 events in 12 of these 43 catchments—scales. A linear rainfall-runoff relationship was observed at an annual scale, with a higher scatter in pervious (R²: 0.47) than impervious catchments (R²: 0.82). Larger scattering was observed at the event scale, although pervious lithology and agricultural land use promoted significant rainfall-runoff linear relations in winter and spring. These relationships were particularly analysed during five hydrological years in the Es Fangar catchment (3.35 km²; Mallorca, Spain) as a temporal downscaling to assess the intra-annual variability, elucidating whether antecedent wetness conditions played a significant role in runoff generation. The assessment of rainfall-runoff relationships under contrasted lithology, land use and seasonality is a useful approach to improve the hydrological modelling of global change scenarios in small catchments where the linearity and non-linearity of the hydrological response—at multiple temporal scales—can inherently co-exist in Mediterranean-climate catchments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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19 pages, 3487 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Projecting Future Impacts of Global Change Including Fires on Soil Erosion to Anticipate Better Land Management in the Forests of NW Portugal

by Amandine Valérie Pastor, Joao Pedro Nunes, Rossano Ciampalini, Myke Koopmans, Jantiene Baartman, Frédéric Huard, Tomas Calheiros, Yves Le-Bissonnais, Jan Jacob Keizer and Damien Raclot

Water 2019, 11(12), 2617; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11122617 - 11 Dec 2019

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4300

Abstract

Wildfire is known to create the pre-conditions leading to accelerated soil erosion. Unfortunately, its occurrence is expected to increase with climate change. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of fire on runoff and soil erosion in a context of [...] Read more.

Wildfire is known to create the pre-conditions leading to accelerated soil erosion. Unfortunately, its occurrence is expected to increase with climate change. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of fire on runoff and soil erosion in a context of global change, and to evaluate the effectiveness of mulching as a post-fire erosion mitigation measure. For this, the long-term soil erosion model LandSoil was calibrated for a Mediterranean catchment in north-central Portugal that burnt in 2011. LandSoil was then applied for a 20-year period to quantify the separate and combined hydrological and erosion impacts of fire frequency and of post-fire mulching using four plausible site-specific land use and management scenarios (S1. business-as-usual, S2. market-oriented, S3. environmental protection and S4. sustainable trade-off) and an intermediate climate change scenario Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 by 2050. The obtained results showed that: (i) fire had a reduced impact on runoff generation in the studied catchment (<5%) but a marked impact on sediment yield (SY) by about 30%; (ii) eucalypt intensification combined with climate change and fires can increase SY by threefold and (iii) post-fire mulching, combined with riparian vegetation maintenance/restoration and reduced tillage at the landscape level, was highly effective to mitigate soil erosion under global change and associated, increased fire frequency (up to 50% reduction). This study shows how field monitoring data can be combined with numerical erosion modeling to segregate the prominent processes occurring in post forest fire conditions and find the best management pathways to meet international goals on achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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17 pages, 3696 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Dynamics of Runoff and Soil Erosion on Abandoned Steep Vineyards in the Mosel Area, Germany

by Manuel Seeger, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Thomas Iserloh, Christine Brings and Johannes B. Ries

Water 2019, 11(12), 2596; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11122596 - 09 Dec 2019

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3537

Abstract

The Mosel Wine region has suffered during the last decades a decrease in productive area, mostly on steep sloping vineyards. To avoid the spread of diseases, the extraction of grapevines on abandoned vineyards is mandatory in Rhineland-Palatinate. At the same time, the organic [...] Read more.

The Mosel Wine region has suffered during the last decades a decrease in productive area, mostly on steep sloping vineyards. To avoid the spread of diseases, the extraction of grapevines on abandoned vineyards is mandatory in Rhineland-Palatinate. At the same time, the organic production of wine is growing slowly, but well established in the area. We assess in this paper the degree of the land-use changes, as well as their effect on runoff generation and sediment production, depending on the age of the abandonment, as well as the type and age of the land management, whether organic or conventional. Land use data were obtained to identify land-use change dynamics. For assessment of runoff generation and soil erosion, we applied rainfall simulation experiments on the different types of vineyard management. These were organically managed, conventionally managed and abandoned ones, all of varying ages. During the last decades of the last century, a decrease of around 30% of vineyard surface could be observed in Germany’s Mosel Wine Region, affecting mostly the steep sloping vineyards. Despite a high variability within the types of vineyard management, the results show higher runoff generation, and soil erosion associated with recently installed or abandoned vineyards when compared to organic management of the vineyards, where erosion reached only 12%. In organic management, runoff and erosion are also reduced considerably, less than 16%, after a decade or more. Thus, organic vineyard management practices show to be very efficient for reduction of runoff and erosion. Consequently, we recommend to adopt as far as possible these soil management practices for sustainable land management of steep sloping vineyards. In addition, soil protection measures are highly recommended for vineyard abandonment according to the law. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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19 pages, 3965 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on Farmland Abandonment of Terraced Slopes Using Multitemporal Data Sources Comparison and Its Implication on Hydro-Geomorphological Processes

by Giacomo Pepe, Andrea Mandarino, Emanuele Raso, Patrizio Scarpellini, Pierluigi Brandolini and Andrea Cevasco

Water 2019, 11(8), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11081552 - 26 Jul 2019

Cited by 38 | Viewed by 5014

Abstract

This paper presents a quantitative multi-temporal analysis performed in a GIS environment and based on different spatial information sources. The research is aimed at investigating the land use transformations that occurred in a small coastal terraced basin of Eastern Liguria from the early [...] Read more.

This paper presents a quantitative multi-temporal analysis performed in a GIS environment and based on different spatial information sources. The research is aimed at investigating the land use transformations that occurred in a small coastal terraced basin of Eastern Liguria from the early 1950s to 2011. The degree of abandonment of cultivated terraced slopes together with its influence on the distribution, abundance, and magnitude of rainfall-induced shallow landslides were accurately analysed. The analysis showed that a large portion of terraced area (77.4%) has been abandoned over approximately sixty years. This land use transformation has played a crucial role in influencing the hydro-geomorphological processes triggered by a very intense rainstorm that occurred in 2011. The outcomes of the analysis revealed that terraces abandoned for a short time showed the highest landslide susceptibility and that slope failures affecting cultivated zones were characterized by a lower magnitude than those which occurred on abandoned terraced slopes. Furthermore, this study highlights the usefulness of cadastral data in understanding the impact of rainfall-induced landslides due to both a high spatial and thematic accuracy. The obtained results represent a solid basis for the investigation of erosion and the shallow landslide susceptibility of terraced slopes by means of a simulation of land use change scenarios. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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19 pages, 2971 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Runoff and Solute Outputs under Different Land Uses: Long-Term Results from a Mediterranean Mountain Experimental Station

by Estela Nadal-Romero, Makki Khorchani, Teodoro Lasanta and José M. García-Ruiz

Water 2019, 11(5), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11050976 - 09 May 2019

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2769

Abstract

Water availability and quality in Mediterranean environments are largely related to the spatial organisation of land uses in mountain areas, where most water resources are generated. However, there is scant data available on the potential effects of land use changes on surface water [...] Read more.

Water availability and quality in Mediterranean environments are largely related to the spatial organisation of land uses in mountain areas, where most water resources are generated. However, there is scant data available on the potential effects of land use changes on surface water chemistry in the Mediterranean mountain region. In order to address this gap in the research, this study investigates the effects of various mountain Mediterranean land covers/land uses on runoff water yielded and water chemistry (solute concentrations and loads) using data from the Aísa Valley Experimental Station (Central Pyrenees) for a long-term period (1991–2011). Nine land covers have been reproduced in closed plots, including dense shrub cover, grazing meadows, cereal, fallow land, abandoned field, shifting agriculture (active and abandoned) and 2 burned plots (one burned in 1991 and the second one burned twice in 1993 and 2001). Results show that all solute concentrations differed among land uses, with agricultural activity producing significantly higher solute loads and concentrations than the other types. Two groups have been identified: (i) the lowest solute concentrations and the smallest quantities of solute loads are recorded in the dense shrub cover, the plot burned once (at present well colonized with shrubs), meadows and abandoned field plots; (ii) the plot burned twice registered moderate values and the highest solute concentrations and loads are found in cereal, fallow land and shifting agriculture plots. Water chemistry is clearly dominated by Ca²⁺ and HCO₃⁻ concentrations, whereas other solutes are exported in very low quantities due to the poor nutrient content of the soil. These results complete the information published previously on soil erosion under different land uses in this experimental station and help to explain the evolution of land cover as a consequence of shifting agriculture, cereal farming on steep slopes and the use of recurrent fires to favour seasonal grazing. They also suggest that promoting the development of grazing and cutting meadows is a good strategy to reduce not only soil erosion but also the loss of nutrients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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15 pages, 2339 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation in Citrus Plantations in Eastern Spain

by Artemi Cerdà, Oren Ackermann, Enric Terol and Jesús Rodrigo-Comino

Water 2019, 11(4), 824; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11040824 - 19 Apr 2019

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 4643

Abstract

Due to the reduction in the prices of oranges on the market and social changes such as the ageing of the population, traditional orange plantation abandonment in the Mediterranean is taking place. Previous research on land abandonment impact on soil and water resources [...] Read more.

Due to the reduction in the prices of oranges on the market and social changes such as the ageing of the population, traditional orange plantation abandonment in the Mediterranean is taking place. Previous research on land abandonment impact on soil and water resources has focused on rainfed agriculture abandonment, but there is no research on irrigated land abandonment. In the Valencia Region—the largest producer of oranges in Europe—abandonment is resulting in a quick vegetation recovery and changes in soil properties, and then in water erosion. Therefore, we performed rainfall simulation experiments (0.28 m²; 38.8 mm h⁻¹) to determine the soil losses in naveline orange plantations with different ages of abandonment (1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years of abandonment) which will allow for an understanding of the temporal changes in soil and water losses after abandonment. Moreover, these results were also compared with an active plantation (0). The results show that the soils of the active orange plantations have higher runoff discharges and higher erosion rates due to the use of herbicides than the plots after abandonment. Once the soil is abandoned for one year, the plant recovery reaches 33% of the cover and the erosion rate drops one order of magnitude. This is related to the delay in the runoff generation and the increase in infiltration rates. After 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years, the soil reduced bulk density, increase in organic matter, plant cover, and soil erosion rates were found negligible. We conclude that the abandonment of orange plantations reduces soil and water losses and can serve as a nature-based solution to restore the soil services, goods, and resources. The reduction in the soil losses was exponential (from 607.4 g m⁻² in the active plot to 7.1 g m⁻² in the 10-year abandoned one) but the water losses were linear (from 77.2 in active plantations till 12.8% in the 10-year abandoned ones). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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14 pages, 1468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Land Uses (Abandoned Farmland, Intensive Agriculture and Forest) on Soil Hydrological Properties in Southern Spain

by Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja, Demetrio Antonio Zema, Pedro Antonio Plaza-Álvarez, Vesna Zupanc, Jantiene Baartman, Javier Sagra, Javier González-Romero, Daniel Moya and Jorge de las Heras

Water 2019, 11(3), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/w11030503 - 11 Mar 2019

Cited by 42 | Viewed by 6019

Abstract

A detailed knowledge of soil water repellency (SWR) and water infiltration capacity of soils under different land uses is of fundamental importance in Mediterranean areas, since these areas are prone to soil degradation risks (e.g., erosion, runoff of polluting compounds) as a response [...] Read more.

A detailed knowledge of soil water repellency (SWR) and water infiltration capacity of soils under different land uses is of fundamental importance in Mediterranean areas, since these areas are prone to soil degradation risks (e.g., erosion, runoff of polluting compounds) as a response to different hydrological processes. The present study evaluates the effects of land uses on SWR and soil hydraulic conductivity (SHC) by direct measurements at the plot scale in three areas representing (1) intensive agricultural use, (2) abandoned farmland, and (3) a forest ecosystem in Southern Spain under Mediterranean climatic conditions. The physico-chemical properties and water content of the experimental soils were also measured. Significant SWR and SHC differences were found among the analyzed land uses. Forest soils showed high SWR and low SHC, while the reverse effects (that is, low SWR and high SHC) were detected in soils subjected to intensive agriculture. Organic matter and bulk density were important soil properties influencing SWR and SHC. The study, demonstrating how land uses can have important effects on the hydrological characteristics of soils, give land managers insights into the choice of the most suitable land use planning strategies in view of facing the high runoff and erosion rates typical of the Mediterranean areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation)

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