The impact of changing olive cultivation practices on the ground flora of olive groves in the Messara and Psiloritis regions,Crete, Greece

This paper examines the impact that different olive cultivation practices have on the nature of the ground flora of olive groves in the region of the Psiloritis massif and Messara Plain in central and southern Crete, Greece. In lower, flatter areas there are areas of both traditional and intensive forms of olive cultivation. In more marginal, upland areas there are traditional terraced olive groves, some of which are being abandoned. The relationship between the vegetation composition of the ground flora and environmental variables was established, by means of TWINSPAN® and ordination analysis, using survey data from nineteen sites across the region. Four vegetation communities are identified: olive with herbaceous taxa; olive with sclerophyllous shrub taxa; and two forms of sclerophyllous shrub communities. Ordination results indicate that environmental variables, such as soil characteristics, slope aspect and slope angle, explain about 60 per cent of the species–environment relationships. The remaining variation in species composition is interpreted to be the result of different cultivation practices. The implications for land degradation are examined, in particular the changes in vegetation diversity of both intensive and semi‐abandoned olive groves, the potential for increased soil erosion, and the risk of fire as a result of increased fuel loading as flammable shrubs invade abandoned terraces. Intensification of olive cultivation in Crete, and across the Mediterranean, has been encouraged by subsidies from the European Union leading to rapid landscape change. Thus there is a need to monitor changes in olive cultivation practices both at the local scale, by means of ground‐based fieldwork, and at landscape and regional scales, by means of remote sensing. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mycorrhizal,nutritional and virgin olive oil parameters affected by groundcovers

Management of olive groves faces the challenge of reconciling yield, soil degradation and virgin olive oil (VOO) quality. We evaluated the effect of replacing tillage management by vegetal groundcovers (GC) on the relationships between mycorrhizal symbiosis, olive nutritional status, and VOO quality under field rainfed conditions. The experiment was set up in 2014 in an existing Cornicabra olive orchard with a Haplic Gypsisol soil under a Mediterranean semiarid climate. Four treatments were replicated four times and consisted of: (1) annual cover of bitter vetch, (2) permanent Brachypodium distachyon, (3) spontaneous vegetation cover (mainly Brassicaceae species), and (4) tilled soil. The use of bitter vetch GC increased the olive root colonization by 50% compared with the tillage treatment. The effect of tillage on VOO differed from that of GC use. Tillage treatment decreased maturity index and its VOO had lower polyphenol content and less luminosity than that from the GC treatments. Olive root colonization, together with changes in nutrients such as Cu, B and other elements resulting from GC use, seems to play an important role in explaining the variability of VOO quality parameters. Although tillage may lead to higher yield by controlling competition for water and nutrients, the introduction of GC in olive groves led to higher polyphenol contents, enhancing VOO quality and, at the same time, protecting soil from erosion.     

Soil erosion and hydrological response to land abandonment in a central inland area of Portugal

This paper analyses the effects of land abandonment on runoff and sediment yield in a central inland area of Portugal. Rainfall simulation experiments were performed in areas of traditional land use (land cultivated with cereals) with various types of soil plant cover associated with the period of abandonment (4–5 years, 15–20 years and 30–40 years) in two different seasons, namely under very dry conditions and after a long wet period. Statistical analysis showed a notable difference between the cultivated soils and those abandoned for a long period of time, which included appreciable vegetation recovery, higher organic matter content and negligible overland flow and soil loss. Cereal cultivation, in particular ploughing, is a very negative land management practice, due to the high runoff and soil loss. Within 4–5 years a crust develops over abandoned soils with sparse herbaceous plant cover, particularly after a dry season, which enhances runoff and sediment yield. In scrubland and oak plots, although marked water repellency was registered at the end of a dry, warm season, its influence seems to be irrelevant in terms of overland flow and erosion yield. The major factor in controlling overland flow and reducing soil erosion rates appears to be the role played by vegetation in protecting the soil surface and supplying organic carbon to the top layer. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of Land-Use History on Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in a Mediterranean Catchment

The impact of land use on soil organic matter was investigated. Five land cover types (pine forest, olive groves, wheat, wheat/maize cultivation systems, and a shrub pasture) belonging to three land-use categories from the same catchment in the island of Lesvos, Greece, were used. The soils developed under similar pedogenetic processes and accepted similar agricultural practices for at least 30 years. The results showed that the land-use and cover types ranged according to their total soil carbon (C) content as follows: forest > double cultivation > wheat > olive > pasture. Crop plantations contained 31 to 40% less C at their upper 0- to 45-cm layer than forest. Pasture had shallow soils with a small C accumulation but high C concentration, whereas olive groves had the lowest concentrations of both soil C and nitrogen (N). Olive grove soils were the most prone to degradation but possessed the greatest potential for C sequestration.     

丘陵半干旱区小流域入渗产流特征研究

为了探索我国丘陵半干旱区小流域入渗产流规律,为该地区雨水径流集蓄利用和区域生态环境治理提供依据,通过人工模拟降雨和自然降雨入渗产流试验,对小流域坡耕地、林地、草地和荒地的降雨入渗产流特征进行了系统研究。结果表明,农林草地比荒地具有明显的拦蓄地表径流和减少土壤侵蚀的效果,比荒地拦蓄地表径流效率增加35.7?.0%,拦蓄泥沙效率增加46.2?.6%;利用Philip入渗理论和逐步回归分析方法对入渗产流试验结果处理分析,建立了小流域坡耕地、林地和荒地土壤的入渗产流及其相关因子数学模型;小流域产流系数与降雨小区地形坡度、降雨强度、植被盖度、土壤雨前含水量和土壤孔隙度等因子显著相关。     

坡地开垦的径流泥沙响应

Land use and land cover change is a key driver of environmental change. To investigate the runoff and erosion responses to frequent land use change on the steep lands in the Three Gorges area, China, a rainfall simulation experiment was conducted in plots randomly selected at a Sloping Land Conversion Program site with three soil surface conditions: existing vegetation cover, vegetation removal, and freshly hoed. Simulated rainfall was applied at intensities of 60 (low), 90 (medium), and 120 mm h 1 (high) in each plot. The results indicated that vegetation removal and hoeing significantly changed runoff generation. The proportion of subsurface runoff in the total runoff decreased from 30.3% to 6.2% after vegetation removal. In the hoed plots, the subsurface runoff comprised 29.1% of the total runoff under low-intensity rainfall simulation and the proportion rapidly decreased with increasing rainfall intensity. Vegetation removal and tillage also significantly increased soil erosion. The average soil erosion rates from the vegetation removal and hoed plots were 3.0 and 10.2 times larger than that in the existing vegetation cover plots, respectively. These identified that both the runoff generation mechanism and soil erosion changed as a consequence of altering land use on steep lands. Thus, conservation practices with maximum vegetation cover and minimum tillage should be used to reduce surface runoff and soil erosion on steep lands.     

Heterogeneity in soil hydrological response from different land cover types in southern Spain

This paper reports results from the analysis of the soil hydrological response to simulated rainfall in a cork oak forest in Los Alcornocales Natural Park (SW Spain). Four different soil/vegetation units were selected for the field experiments: [1] cork oak woodland, [2] heathland, [3] grassland, and [4] cork oak/olive tree mixed forest. Rainfall simulations tests were performed on circular plots of 1256.6 cm² at an intensity of 56.5 mm h^− 1 for 30 min.Marked differences in the hydrological behavior of the studied vegetation types were observed after the rainfall simulations. The soils under woodland showed low runoff rates and coefficients. The highest runoff rates were measured on the heath and grass-covered parts of the hillslope. Water repellency of the soil, measured from water drop penetration tests, reduced infiltration (especially under the heathland), and seems to be the cause of fast ponding and runoff generation during the first stages of rainstorms.The mosaic of different patterns of hydrological response to rainfall, such as runoff generation or infiltration, is governed by the spatial distribution of vegetation and its influence on the soil surface.     

Runoff generation in a degraded Andean ecosystem: Interaction of vegetation cover and land use

Tropical mountain regions are affected by rapid land use/-cover change, which may threaten their (eco-)hydrological functions. Although there is a growing interest in evaluating the effect of land use/-cover change on mountain hydrology, quantitative assessments of the impact of land use/-cover on hydrological processes are hampered by the lack of field measurements characterizing runoff generation processes. In this paper, we present results from field experiments of rainfall runoff mechanisms in the southern Ecuadorian Andes. A rainfall simulator was used to quantify the hydrological response of distinct land use/-cover types to intense rainfall (about 40 mm/h). The rainfall runoff experiments indicate that degraded and abandoned land generate surface runoff within a few minutes after the start of the rainfall event. These lands have a very rapid and sharp hillslope hydrological response, as Hortonian overland flow is the dominant runoff generation mechanism. In contrast, surface runoff on arable and rangelands is rare, as their soils are characterized by a high infiltration capacity (i.e. > 29 mm/h). Our experiments provide evidence that runoff generation in degraded Andean ecosystems is mainly controlled by the surface vegetation cover and land management. When reducing the surface vegetation cover, the soil is increasingly affected by rapid hillslope runoff as the presence of large amounts of smectites in the outcropping soft rocks makes the material very prone to sealing and crusting, thereby enhancing runoff generation.     

Contrasted Impact of Land Abandonment on Soil Erosion in Mediterranean Agriculture Fields

Abandonment of agricultural land results in on-and off-site consequences for the ecosystem. In this study, 105 rainfall simulations were carried out in agriculture lands of the Mediterranean belt in Spain(vineyards in Málaga, almond orchards in Murcia, and orange and olive orchards in Valencia) and in paired abandoned lands to assess the impact of land abandonment on soil and water losses. After abandonment, soil detachment decreased drastically in the olive and orange orchards, while vineyards did not show any difference and almond orchards registered higher erosion rates after the abandonment. Terraced orchards of oranges and olives recovered a dense vegetation cover after the abandonment, while the sloping terrain of almond orchards and vineyards enhanced the development of crusts and rills and a negligible vegetation cover resulted in high erosion rates. The contrasted responses to land abandonment in Mediterranean agricultural lands suggest that land abandonment should be programmed and managed with soil erosion control strategies for some years to avoid land degradation.     

Land suitability assessment for perennial crops using remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems: A case study in northwestern Egypt

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to develop a Geographic Information Systems-based model for land suitability assessment for guava, olive and date palm in the North-western coast of Egypt. Soil, climatic and landscape database as well as satellite image have been integrated through Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A Landsat ETM+ image dated 2001, was classified using maximum likelihood classifier to produce land use/land cover map. Physical and chemical analyses of 57 soil profiles were interpolated to produce continuous land characteristic maps that are relevant to the requirement of the considered crops. These maps with climate and land cover map were integrated using GIS to produce land suitability maps for guava, olive and date palm. Two types of land suitability maps were produced in this study namely: Continuous land suitability maps and conventional land suitability classified maps. For each of them six land suitability maps were produced for the three crops in which three are for actual land suitability and the other three for potential land suitability. It was found that the suitability was higher for date palm followed by olive and the lowest suitability was assigned for guava.     

草地植被覆盖度坡度及雨强对坡面径流含沙量影响试验研究

为研究植被修复状态下径流含沙量变化。该试验运用人工模拟降雨试验方法,分析了径流含沙量草被调控效益变化。结果:1)不同降雨强度或坡度下,平均径流含沙量随草被盖度的增大而减小,草被盖度从30%~70%,含沙量分别降低约10或5 kg/m3,可用线性方程显著描述。草被消减雨强对径流含沙量影响大于草被消减坡度的。平均径流含沙量随降雨强度或坡度的增大而增大,分别可用幂函数或指数函数方程显著描述,决定系数在0.5或0.8以上。2)基于单位水流功率建立幂函数模型决定系数为0.940,模型有效系数为0.986,说明模型模拟精度都较高。3)基于坡度、雨强和盖度建立指数函数模型决定系数为0.937,模型有效系数为0.894,说明模型模拟精度都较高。该研究可以预测草地坡面含沙量,为生态建设和流域管理提供指导。     

Influence of forest cover and herbaceous vegetation on the microbiological and biochemical properties of soil under Mediterranean humid climate

The effects of different Mediterranean vegetation cover on the biological and biochemical quality of soil is not well understood. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects that different types of vegetation (forestry plots, mainly dominated by Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp salzmannii) and herbaceous plots, where overstorey density is lower and natural herbaceous percentage is higher than in forestry plots) have in the biological properties of soil in Mediterranean humid climate. The impact of these plant communities on the biological soil quality was determined by several sensitive parameters related to the microbial activity of the soil such as soil respiration and some enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase and dehydrogenase). Development of vegetation (herbaceous and pines) was also determined and correlated with microbiological and biochemical indicators. Organic matter content in herbaceous sites was significantly higher than in forestry sites, ranging from 5.27 to 6.70 g 100 g^?1 in herbaceous sites to 1.64–2.81 g 100 g^?1 in forested areas. Herbaceous sites showed higher values of basal respiration and dehydrogenase activity than pine areas. However, the decrease of organic carbon content in pine areas led microbial activity enrichment per unit of carbon. These results conclude that vegetation cover significantly impacts soil microbial processes in Mediterranean humid climates, herbaceous vegetation having a more positive influence than forest vegetation on the biochemical and microbial activity of the soil, principally due to the higher accumulation of organic matter from plant remains.     

基于土地利用/覆盖的干旱绿洲区植被覆盖度变化--以新疆生产建设兵团第八师为例

为了探讨西北干旱绿洲区土地利用/覆盖类型景观格局特征,以及不同土地利用/覆盖类型植被覆盖度变化,本文以干旱典型绿洲区新疆生产建设兵团第八师为研究区,选取2000年、2005年的Landsat TM和2010年环境一号星CCD遥感影像数据,采用室内解译与野外核查相结合,运用RS和GIS技术分析了该区域的土地利用/覆盖和景观格局变化特征,并基于土地利用/覆盖类型选取3年的MODIS数据进行了植被覆盖度变化分析。结果表明:1)该研究区主要以耕地、草地和灌丛为主,占总面积的88.9%。在自然因素和人为因素的综合作用下,干旱绿洲区土地利用/覆盖类型发生明显变化,草地和灌丛呈减少趋势,面积分别由2000年的2 603.2 km2和1 166.2 km2减少至2010年的1 677.3 km2和933.8 km2;耕地和城镇逐步增加,面积分别由2000年的2 892.8 km2和209.2 km2增加至2010年的4 038.3 km2和259.1 km2;耕地主要由草地和灌丛转化而来,城镇主要由耕地转化而来,土地利用变化整体处于不平衡发展趋势。2)研究区景观特征趋于简单,土地利用变化改变了该区域景观格局,景观多样性、均匀度减少,优势度明显增大,破碎化程度降低,生物多样性也呈向单一方向转变的趋势。3)受气候等主要因素的影响,2000—2010年植被覆盖度呈先降低后逐步升高的趋势,不同土地利用/覆盖类型植被覆盖度表现为林地耕地草地灌丛荒漠,林地、灌丛、草地和耕地植被覆盖度分别增加6.7%、38.2%、15.6%和12.3%;较高和高等级植被覆盖面积增加,中、较低和低等级植被覆盖度面积减少。4)温度一定的条件下,降雨量是影响干旱绿洲区植被覆盖变化的关键因素。该研究结果可为新疆生产建设兵团生态环境保护管理以及合理规划生产模式提供科学的参考依据。     

太子河小流域氮素输出特征研究

通过定点监测,对太子河源头小流域降雨量和河流系统中总氮、硝态氮和亚硝态氮的质量浓度及其变化规律进行了研究。结果表明:(1) 2011年5-9月,太子河小流域降雨量占全年降雨总量的81.8%,是非点源氮输出的主要时期; (2)研究时段内,各断面总氮的变化趋势呈波浪式,总氮平均浓度表现为:鸡场> 村庄> 旱田> 林地,与土壤背景值具有一致性; (3) 5月7日至6月10日,长期干旱后的初期降雨使得旱田、村庄和鸡场断面总氮浓度较雨季期间高,6月10日至9月30日,随降雨量和降雨次数的增加,浸提作用与稀释作用交互进行,各断面总氮浓度出现先增加后降低的现象; (4)林地、旱田、村庄和鸡场断面硝态氮和亚硝态氮输出浓度与降雨量呈显著正相关,硝态氮是总氮的主要输出形态,分别占总氮的69.2%,63.4%,61.4%和63.8%。植被覆盖虽能有效地减少土壤侵蚀和总氮的流失,却增加了土壤可溶性氮的流失。     

Decoupling effects of driving factors on sediment yield in the Chinese Loess Plateau

Investigations of runoff and sediment yield changes and their relationships with potential driving factors provide good insights for understanding the mechanisms of hydrological processes. This study attempted to present a comprehensive investigation on the spatiotemporal variations of sediment yield in the Loess Plateau using continuous observed data at 46 hydrological stations during 1961–2016, and its responses to changes of precipitation, land use/cover and vegetation cover were analyzed by using the Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that sediment yield reduced pronouncedly during 1961–2016 in the Loess Plateau, and 77.9% of this variation was explained by the combined effects of precipitation, land-use change, vegetation dynamics and runoff reduction. Indirect effects of precipitation, land-use change, and vegetation cover on sediment yield were 0.242, ?0.528 and ?0.630 (P < 0.05), respectively, and direct effect of runoff on sediment yield was 0.833 (P < 0.05). According to the Pearson Correlation Coefficient, the strongest positive correlation existed between annual sediment yield and runoff (r = 0.88, P < 0.05), followed by vegetation cover (r = ?0.47, P < 0.05) and land-use change (i.e. forest land and grassland) suggesting their significant trapping effects on soil erosion. However, lower correlations were examined between sediment yield and precipitation indices (?0.14<r < 0.34), and a relatively higher relationship was examined between sediment yield and heavy rainfall (P₂₅) (r = 0.34). Overall, changes in runoff and land-use/vegetation cover well explained variations in sediment yield in the Loess Plateau. The findings are expected to provide scientific and technical support for future soil and water conservation planning in the Loess Plateau, and are valuable for sustainable water resources and sediment load management in the Yellow River Basin.     

Effect of vegetation cover on the hydrology of reclaimed mining soils under Mediterranean-Continental climate

Vegetation cover plays a major role in the restoration and stabilization of disturbed systems. The analysis of relationships between restored vegetation and soil hydrology has special relevance for the evaluation and operation of mining reclamation, particularly in Mediterranean-Continental environments, where climatic conditions restrict the development of continuous vegetation cover. The effect of herbaceous vegetation cover on soil hydrology was analysed by means of rainfall simulation (63 mm h^− 1; 0.24 m²) in reclaimed soils derived from opencast coal mining (a non-saline and clay-loam textured spoil) in central-eastern Spain. A total of 75 simulation experiments were conducted at three different times throughout the year (late winter, summer and autumn) to control the influence of seasonal climatic fluctuations. Sediment concentrations in runoff and the runoff coefficient decreased exponentially with vegetation cover, while increases in steady infiltration rates were obtained with vegetation cover. Additional delays in runoff responses (longer time to runoff start and stabilization) and increases in the wetting front depth were observed with vegetation cover. Seasonal variations in soil surface state and moisture strongly influenced hydrological responses; although the influence of season on the analysed hydrological responses was attenuated by vegetation cover, especially in the case of infiltration rates. We also determined a practical ground cover threshold for site restoration and evaluation of over 50% vegetation cover, which could help achieve an optimum biological control of hydrological soil responses in the studied environment.     

黄土高原吕二沟流域土地利用及降雨强度对径流泥沙影响初探

在对黄土高原吕二沟流域1982—2005年侵蚀产沙资料统计计算的基础上,从流域尺度上,以次降雨径流产沙为主要研究对象,分析该地区不同降雨强度及不同土地利用情况下降雨量—径流量、径流量—输沙量的相互关系特征,并模拟相应的数学表达式。结果表明：吕二沟流域同一土地利用情况下,场降雨量和场径流量之间存在指数函数相关关系,场径流量和场产沙量之间存在幂函数相关关系;相同降雨量条件下,同样的径流量,土地利用结构得到改善的土地利用模式3能有效地减少大降雨强度条件下的土壤侵蚀量,同样的径流量,降雨强度越大,场产沙量越大。从长远来看,改善流域土地利用结构,改变流域下垫面的情况,增加森林植被覆盖度是控制黄土高原水土流失的根本措施。     

诺敏河流域土地利用与覆被变化及其对水文过程的影响

流域土地利用/覆被变化及其水文效应是当前全球变化研究的重要内容.为正确认识大兴安岭森林采伐对水文过程的影响,以诺敏河流域为例,在遥感和地理信息系统技术支持下,结合地形图和卫星遥感影像数据,获取1954-2005年诺敏河流域5期土地利用/覆被数据,在GIS空间分析模块下分析诺敏河流域土地利用/覆被变化过程,并探讨土地利用/覆被变化对水文过程的影响.结果表明,近50 a诺敏河流域土地利用方式发生了明显变化,林地和草地分别减少1 940.1 km2和748.99 km2,与林草地的大面积减少相对应,耕地面积增加2 741.7 km2.自1998年实施大兴安岭天然林保护工程以后,林地采伐和耕地开垦速率明显降低;土地利用/覆被变化影响年径流量,林地大规模减少、耕地明显增加的后期土地利用较前期径流量有所增加,且随着降雨的增多,土地利用变化对径流的影响效应随之增强.同一降雨条件下土地利用/覆被变化对径流的影响在生长季具有明显差异.     

Controls of infiltration–runoff processes in Mediterranean karst rangelands in SE Spain

Semiarid karst landscapes represent an important ecosystem surrounding the Mediterranean Basin for which little is known on runoff generation. Knowledge of the sources and patterns of variation in infiltration–runoff processes and their controls is important for understanding and modelling the hydrological functions of such ecosystems. The objectives of this paper are to determine the infiltration rates and their controls in a representative mountain karst area (Sierra de Gádor, SE Spain) at micro-plots and to investigate the integrated response of rainfall on a typical hillslope. Rainfall simulations in micro-plots and natural rainfall-runoff monitoring on a hillslope were carried out complementarily. We investigated the role of soil surface components (vegetation, rock outcrop, fracture, and soil crust), topographic position, antecedent soil moisture, and rainfall characteristics in regulating infiltration–runoff processes. Results of rainfall simulation revealed the importance of vegetation cover and the presence of rock fractures in promoting the infiltration in the limestone karst landscape, while bare patches and rock outcrops acted as sources for runoff. All plots with > 50% vegetation cover had no runoff with up to 55 mm h^− 1 of simulated rain. In contrast, nearly all bare plots had runoff under the same simulated rain, with runoff coefficients ranging from 3.1 to 20.6% on dry soil surface conditions, and from 2.0 to 65.4% on wet soil surfaces. Runoff coefficients amounted to 59.0–79.5% for rock outcrops without cracks, but were drastically reduced by the presence of cracks. The surfaces with rock fragments resting on the soil (generally located in the middle of the slopes) prevented more effectively the runoff generation than those surfaces where rock fragments were embedded in the top soil. Antecedent soil moisture had significant impact on runoff generation, with wet soil having doubled runoff coefficient, shortened time to runoff, and increased runoff rate compared to the same but dry soil. Linear regressions indicated that the main controls for constant infiltration rate were the cover percentages of vegetation and litter, plus rainfall intensity; while the major controls for runoff coefficient were the bare soil and vegetation coverage, plus rainfall intensity. High infiltration rates measured at the micro-plots agreed with low intra-event runoff coefficients (mostly below 1%) observed under natural rainfalls at the hillslope. Runoff depth and coefficient at the hillslope was significantly correlated with rainfall depth, maximum hourly rainfall intensity and antecedent precipitation over 20 days (AP₂₀). During the 1.5-year monitoring period from Sep-2003 to Mar-2005, the overall infiltration was 41% of the total rainfall amount and the maximum infiltration rate was almost 94% of the largest single rainfall event. The results from this study contribute to improved understanding of the magnitude and controls of the surface runoff in semiarid karst mountain areas.