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El estado de degradación del suelo en las áreas mediterráneas dificulta una actividad agrícola sostenible, especialmente en un contexto de cambio global, donde las tasas de pérdida de suelo se ven acrecentadas por las modificaciones en la dinámica plu-viométrica. Así, el territorio declarado como “Sistema Importantes del Patrimonio Agrícola Mundial” (SIPAM) dedicado a la uva pasa de la Axarquía (Málaga) se identifi-ca como un área de especial fragilidad frente a estos procesos. Esta investigación pretende, por un lado, determinar la susceptibilidad a la erosión del suelo y, especial-mente, conocer qué papel está jugando las Soluciones basadas en la Naturaleza (NbS) en la capacidad adaptativa de este territorio. Para ello, se ha analizado estadís-ticamente la dinámica pluviométrica, se han determinado las tasas de erosión del suelo a partir del modelo RUSLE y, por último, se ha desarrollado una metodología cualitativa para la evaluación de las NbS. Los resultados muestran un claro descenso de las precipitaciones anuales y una concentración de la lluvia en eventos de mayor intensidad, dando lugar a una mayor erosividad de la lluvia y a altas tasas de pérdida de suelo. No obstante, las prácticas agrícolas y las diferentes estructuras identifica-das son consideradas estrategias sostenibles de adaptación a este tipo de riesgos naturales, conformándose como NbS. Soil degradation conditions in mediterranean areas make sustainable agricultural activity difficult, especially in a context of global change, where soil loss rates are in-creased by changes in rainfall dynamics. Thus, the territory designated as an «Impor-tant Agricultural World Heritage System» (GIAHS) dedicated to raisins in Axarquía (Malaga) is identified as an area of special vulnerability to these processes. This re-search aims, on the one hand, to determine the susceptibility to soil erosion and, especially, to find out what role Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are playing in the adaptive capacity of this region. For this purpose, the rainfall dynamics have been statistically analysed, soil erosion rates have been determined using the RUSLE mod-el and, finally, a qualitative methodology for the evaluation of NbS has been devel-oped. The results show a clear decrease in annual rainfall and a concentration of rainfall in higher intensity events, leading to higher rainfall erosivity and high soil loss rates. Nevertheless, agricultural practices and the different structures identified are considered sustainable adaptation strategies to these types of natural risks, qualifying as NbS. Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PID2019-104046RB-100

Soil erosion is one of the most recurrent environmental problems of public interest today. The western Mediterranean is an area sensitive to the effects of Climate Change, according to the latest IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, due to the proven increase in extreme events such as heat waves, extreme rainfall and droughts. Within this, the importance of competition in the territory between tourism and agriculture will be the result of radical changes in land use that are affecting the ecomorphological system to the point of making it even more susceptible due to the emergence and increase of high risks in the Mediterranean basins. Therefore, it will be essential to determine the levels of susceptibility of the basins under study with respect to erosive processes in order to create new mitigation measures to improve soil management and reduce these risks. Through this study we intend to analyze changes in land use and territorial susceptibility in several basins in southern Spain, in Malaga. The main objective is to determine the incidence and susceptibility of these basins and to analyse how they have been affected by land use changes through an observation of land use changes and the application of the RUSLE model. This project will look at the differences between two contrasting basins. One basin with steep slopes and the emergence of more sensitive crops, such as vineyards, which will increase the fragility of Mediterranean basins after torrential events, causing the appearance of a higher risk of erosion, while the other basin will be differentiated with the appearance of clearings that decrease the steep slopes together with changes to more competitive crops, such as subtropical crops. The results demonstrate the correlation between land use and torrential events in Mediterranean basins with respect to their susceptibility in their ecogeomorphological system.

Soil erosion is one of the most relevant environmental problems facing society today. Climate change has a direct impact on these processes through a feedback loop, especially in the Mediterranean region, where the situation is conceived as one of extreme fragility. The increase in extreme rainfall and temperature events, together with differential human land use, are leading to an intense degradation of Mediterranean soils. Therefore, it is essential to determine the levels of susceptibility of the landscape to erosion processes to create new strategies to improve the management of the land and reduce the potential risks that may exist. Specifically, this work has focused on the Guadalmedina watershed, in Malaga (Spain), which is characteristic of the current dynamics of the Mediterranean landscape. For this purpose, a soil quality index based on a multi-criteria analysis of different soil indicators (water, physical and organic) has been applied in this study, using a total of 132 soil samples measured in the laboratory. In addition, the results of this analysis have been contrasted with soil erosion values derived from the application of RUSLE model. From this process, those slopes and fields with the highest water erosion risk values have been identified at the most detailed scale. In general, the lowest soil erosion rates are found in those areas where soil quality indicators show optimal values. Furthermore, the results obtained indicate that organic soil indicators are decisive in the processes of water erosion in the Mediterranean area.

In the Mediterranean area of southern Spain, a well-defined rainfall gradient is identified, ranging from 1.000-1.500 mm annual rainfall in the western sector to less than 150 mm in the extreme east. This fact implies a related impoverishment of ecosystem services, intensified by the impacts of current climate dynamics and leading to a degradation of soil-water-plant relationships and reflected in different indicator properties. In this respect, protected natural environments have a fundamental role to preserve and protect ecosystem services. Thus, the mitigation of the effects of climate change on them is a crucial challenge. For this reason, this study has focused on the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park (UNESCO Global Geopark), located at the eastern end of the above-mentioned gradient, with territorial characteristics related to arid and semi-arid climatic conditions where the consequences of the current pluviometric pattern are emphasising the vulnerabilities of these areas. This research aims to (i) analyse the eco-geomorphological dynamics in last decades from a climatic and vegetation cover perspective and (ii) contrast this evolution with the soil quality situation, with emphasis on soil organic properties as determinants of the main degradation processes in the Mediterranean area. Methods used combine the statistical analysis of climatic variables based on data from the SAIH Hidrosur Network (1997-2022) with the use of spatial remote sensing techniques by applying vegetation indices in Sentinel-2 images. In addition, a total of 276 soil samples were collected and analysed to determine their physical, hydrological, and organic properties. On a preliminary way, the results show large differences between different landscape units. On the one hand, areas where abiotic factors control the current eco-geomorphological dynamics and where the aggressiveness of rainfall is causing important degradation processes, a reduction in the organic content of soils and, in general, a dynamic associated with rhexistasy, and on the other hand, areas where biotic factors are improving environmental conservation and the prevalence of biostasy processes.

This Story Map has been designed following a didactic unit approach to be reproduced by teachers in their classrooms. It addresses the phenomenon of depopulation through the GEOVACUI project

Heavy rainfall events in the Mediterranean can be of high intensity, commonly exceeding 100 mm day-1, and have irregular spatio-temporal distribution. Such events can have significant impacts both on soils and human structures. The aim of this paper is to highlight a systematic comparison of synoptic conditions with heavy rainfall events in Mediterranean Southern Spain, assessing the weather types responsible for meteorological risk in specific locations of this mountainous region. To do this, we analyzed the maximum intensity of rainfall in observational periods ranging from 10 min to 24 h using a database from 132 rain gauge stations across the study area since 1943; then, the heavy rain has been associated with the weather type which triggers it. This analysis identified a pattern of heavy rainfall which differs from that previously reported in the Mediterranean area. Thus, in this research, the maximum number of heavy rainfall events uses to come from a dominant pattern of low pressures associated to front systems and East-Northeast winds; but the maximum volumes use to be associated to Cold Drops and the same winds; in addition, there are differences throughout the territory, showing several patterns and seasonal incidence when analyzing sub-zones, which may be related with different erosive conditions according to its position with respect to Atlantic or Mediterranean sea, and the entity of its relief.

The relationship between the social structure of urban spaces and the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming increasingly evident. Analyzing the socio-spatial structure in relation to cases may be one of the keys to explaining the ways in which this contagious disease and its variants spread. The aim of this study is to propose a set of variables selected from the social context and the spatial structure and to evaluate the temporal spread of infections and their different degrees of intensity according to social areas. We define a model to represent the relationship between the socio-spatial structure of the urban space and the spatial distribution of pandemic cases. We draw on the theory of social area analysis and apply multivariate analysis techniques to check the results in the urban space of the city of Malaga (Spain). The proposed model should be considered capable of explaining the functioning of the relationships between societal structure, socio-spatial segregation, and the spread of the pandemic. In this paper, the study of the origins and consequences of COVID-19 from different scientific perspectives is considered a necessary approach to understanding this phenomenon. The personal and social consequences of the pandemic have been exceptional and have changed many aspects of social life in urban spaces, where it has also had a greater impact. We propose a geostatistical analysis model that can explain the functioning of the relationships between societal structure, socio-spatial segregation, and the temporal evolution of the pandemic. Rather than an aprioristic theory, this paper is a study by the authors to interpret the disparity in the spread of the pandemic as shown by the infection data.

Modeling the social-spatial structure of urban spaces can facilitate the development of guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while also acting as an instrument that helps decision-making concerning mitigation policies. The modeling process starts with catego-rization of urban spaces based on the concept of social vulnerability. A model is created based on this concept and the theory of analysis of social areas. Statistical techniques of factor analysis and geostatistics are applied. This generates a map of social differentiation that, when related to data on the evolution of the contagion, generates a multidimensional model of social vulnerability. The application of this model towards people (social structure) and the environment where they live (spatial structure) is specified. Our model assumes the uniqueness of cities, and it is intended to be a broadly applicable model that can be extrapolated to other urban areas if pertinent revisions are made. Our work demonstrates that aspects of the social and urban structures may be validly used to analyze and explain the spatial spread of COVID-19. FEDER-COVID19 (CV20-27760), Regional Government, Spain. This study is part of the project “Vulnerability and post-COVID resilience in the metropolitan area of Málaga (Spain)”. Partial funding for open access charge: University of Málaga and Consortium of University Libraries of Andalusia (CBUA acronym in Spain).

This research delves into the need to use granular analyses at the neighborhood level to study the preexisting conditions of vulnerability that best explain the waves of COVID-19 incidence and mortality. It seems most appropriate to use the comprehensive approach of the sustainable development with variables that analyze the economic, social, environmental, and governance dimensions, given the extensive literature that identifies each as a determining factor for the impact of disease. The work utilizes a composite vulnerability index that allows the city of Malaga to be divided into 434 census sections; waves of incidence and mortality for each section are constructed for the period of March 2020 to March 2021. Cluster analysis reveals that there are five different cluster incidence patterns, whereas the lethality waves are found to behave as a hot-spot phenomenon. The results reveal that neighborhoods that are the most vulnerable in terms of their demographic conditions (large proportion over 65 years of age and dependent) and socioeconomic conditions (severe material deprivation), have been the most affected by COVID-19 infection and mortality.

Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada/CBUA. This study was part of the research project "Incidence of global change in contrasted Mediterranean landscapes," GLOMED-LAND (CSO2016-75898-P), funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness., Assessing soil hydrological conditions can provide essential information for understanding the environmental processes that affect ecosystem services and, particularly in the context of ongoing climate change. This is key in areas affected by water scarcity such as the Mediterranean belt. Therefore, the main goals of this research are (i) to assess the main rainfall dynamics and trends of some representative hotspots along with southern Spain and (ii) to determine the impact on the soil available water content (AWC) over the last two decades. An analysis of daily precipitation and soil hydrological conditions was combined with soil sampling (543) and laboratory analyses to evaluate the properties related to the soil infiltration and retention capacity. The results show that the organic factors control soil properties and their hydrodynamics in southern Spain. Furthermore, a general declining trend in soil water availability is observed over the last two decades. This is more extreme in arid and semi-arid areas, where there have been several years in the last decade with more than 200 days without the available water content. Moreover, in these areas, heavy rainfall during specific moments of the year is the key factor that manifests a greater incidence in areas with steeper slopes, which in turn, also conditions the biological factors and the hydrodynamics of the soil. In short, in the context of climate change, the analysis of soil hydrological dynamics could be used to identify biodiversity thresholds in the Mediterranean area and even to detect phenological changes in specific plant species., Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness CSO2016-75898-P

In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), understanding landscape evolution is essential to design long-term management plans. In agricultural fields, such as the vineyards on steep slopes, the terraces offer one of the most important morphological changes. However, it is not clear if the poorly managed agricultural terraces are optimal to reduce soil erosion and overland flow, although the trafficability is improved. Therefore, the main aim of this research is to compare the differences between initial soil erosion processes on poorly managed terraced vineyards and sloping vineyards at the pedon scale, considering the key role of the SSC (Soil Surface Components). To achieve this goal, twenty-six rainfall simulations were performed, considering the inclination, vegetation and stone covers, and surface roughness. Our research was carried out in the sloping vineyards (>20°) of the Almachar municipality, in the Montes de Malaga (Spain). Those vineyards are characterized by bare soils, low organic matter and high rock fragment contents. Our results showed that higher soil losses (42.2 g m−2 vs 9.4 g m−2) and runoff (4.9 l m−2 vs 1.6 l m−2) were detected in the plots of the poorly managed terraced vineyard than in the sloping one. Moreover, the time to runoff generation was lower in the poorly conserved terraces (232 s) than in the sloping vineyard (679 s), showing a faster saturation capacity. The SSC considered as the key factors were the reduction of the stone cover and an increase of roughness. As a conclusion, we confirm that the imminent transformation from sloping vineyards into terraced fields could lead several land degradation processes if a poor management is carried out, and no control measures are applied during the process, such as the conservation of stone walls or vegetation cover above the embankment, which is not in compliance with the SDG.

En el actual contexto de cambio climático existe una natural preocupación por determinar la vulnerabilidad de diferentes espacios a los efectos de este, dado que, en el ámbito mediterráneo, algunos indicadores comienzan a ser especialmente preocupantes. Uno de ellos es el constituido por el SIPAM (Sistemas Importantes del Patrimonio Agrícola Mundial) de la uva pasa de la comarca malagueña de la Axarquía.

espanolEn la Cordilleras Beticas litorales, estudios recientes indican un incremento de la erosividad de la precipitacion. Asi, es necesario avanzar en la estimacion de la perdida de suelo por erosion hidrica, principal agente geomorfologico en dicha zona. Este estudio aplica la ecuacion RUSLE en dos cuencas de media montana, con diferentes condiciones pluviometricas, durante el periodo 1997-2018; ambas cuencas presentan rasgos ecogeomorfologicos propios de la montana mediterranea. En la aplicacion, se han introducido cambios metodologicos en el calculo de la estimacion de perdida de suelo y su validacion: intensidad de lluvia diezminutal (I10), en vez de 30 minutos para el factor R; estimacion de la cubierta vegetal para el factor C por medio del NDVI; y validacion mediante inventario en campo de los componentes superficiales del suelo. Los resultados arrojan diferencias entre ambas cuencas dadas sus diferentes condiciones ecogeomorfologicas. La precision dada por la I10 permite valorar mejor la estimacion de perdida de suelo y sus cambios espacio-temporales. La validacion con componentes superficiales del suelo es mejor en la cuenca con condiciones ecogeomorfologicas mas bioticas. Este trabajo tiene evidente utilidad para deteccion de zonas prioritarias ante la ejecucion de politicas de reforestacion y control de la erosion y generacion de avenidas. EnglishA recent study indicated an increment in rainfall erosivity along the Betica Mountains. Thus, it is recommended to step forward a better estimation of soil loss consequence of water erosion, the main geomorphic agent in that geographical area. This study deals with the application of RUSLE equation in two Mediterranean mountainous watershed, with different rainfall regime, from 1997 to 2018; both of them are characterised with common ecogeomorphologic features from Mediterranean mountains. Some changes in the RUSLE application have been done: rainfall intensity calculated in 10-minutes instead of 30-minutes for Factor R; vegetation cover estimated by means of NDVI for Factor C; and validation using field inventory of soil surface components. The results indicated differences between both watersheds given their different ecogeomorphologic conditions. The precision of using I10 let valuate better the soil loss estimation and its spatial and temporal variability. The validation with the soil surface components obtained better results in the watershed of more biotic ecogeomorphological conditions. This study is of great useful to detect priority areas to carry out revegetation plans to control erosion and floodings.

Soil quality indexes (SQIs) are very useful in assessing the status and edaphic health of soils. This is particularly the case in the Mediterranean area, where successive torrential rainfall episodes give rise to erosion and soil degradation processes; these are being exacerbated by the current climate crisis. The objective of this study was to analyze the soil quality in two contrasting Mediterranean watersheds in the province of Malaga (Spain): the middle and upper watersheds of the Rio Grande (sub-humid conditions) and the Benamargosa River (semi-arid conditions). Field soil sampling was carried out at representative sites, and the soils were subsequently analyzed for various edaphic properties in the laboratory. From the resulting data, the mean values ​​have been grouped and reclassified, and based on a multicriteria evaluation, a SQI for the study region was generated. The results show that there are major differences between the two watersheds, with optimal soil quality values being found in the Rio Grande watershed, but more unfavorable values occurring throughout most of the Benamargosa River watershed.

During the last 25 years, an increasing rainfall erosivity occurred in South of Spain according to recent studies. This fact may rendered in an increment of the derived threatens from water erosion and, consequently, soil loss processes, one of the main geomorphic agent in that geographical area. This study deals with the application of RUSLE equation in two-contrasted Mediterranean mountainous watershed from 1997 to 2018. Both of them are characterised with very common ecogeomorphologic features from Mediterranean mountains but differs in the rainfall regime: one watershed shows an altitudinal gradient from dry-Mediterranean to subhumid Mediterranean climate, and the other one from semiarid to dry-Mediterranean climate.From the methodological point of view, RULSE was applied but some modifications were introduced in its calculation: i) rainfall intensity calculated in 10-minutes instead of 30-minutes for Factor R; ii) vegetation cover estimated by means of NDVI for Factor C; and iii) validation using field inventory of soil surface components.The results indicated differences between both watersheds given their different ecogeomorphologic conditions. The precision of using I10 let valuate better the soil loss estimation and its spatial and temporal variability. The validation with the soil surface components obtained better results in the rainiest watershed with more biotic ecogeomorphological conditions. This study is of great useful to detect priority areas to carry out revegetation plans to control erosion and floodings.

The increase in the frequency of heavy rainfall events in arid and semi-arid areas is an important concern for the humankind and also from a hydro-geomorphological point of view. discuss the influence of geomorphological precipitation on human, socioeconomic, and infrastructural factors. This chapter also presents a definition of heavy rainfall threshold, which is the key to determine the threats to territory.

Soil quality indexes (SQIs) are very useful in assessing the status and edaphic health of soils. This is particularly the case in the Mediterranean area, where successive torrential rainfall episodes give rise to erosion and soil degradation processes, these are being exacerbated by the current climate crisis. The objective of this study was to analyze the soil quality in two contrasting Mediterranean watersheds in the province of Malaga (Spain): the middle and upper watersheds of the Rio Grande (sub-humid conditions) and the Benamargosa River (semi-arid conditions). Field soil sampling was carried out at representative sites, and the soils were subsequently analyzed for various edaphic properties in the laboratory. From the resulting data, the mean values have been grouped and reclassified, and, based on a multicriteria evaluation, an SQI for the study region was generated. The results show that there are major differences between the two watersheds, with optimal soil quality values being found in the Rio Grande watershed (very high soil quality&mdash, 34.26%), but more unfavorable values occurring throughout most of the Benamargosa River watershed (very low soil quality&mdash, 63.33%). Thus, these results have been subjected to a validation process in the field.

Prescribed fire is a common management practice in Mediterranean region to reduce the amount of fuel and to decrease the wildfire risk. The objective of this study is to assess the effect of a prescribed fire on some soil properties, hydrological response and vegetation recovery in experimental plots 5 years after. The results showed that: i) with the exception of electrical conductivity, the prescribed fire did not affect the analyzed soil properties, and ii) overland flow and sediment transport were increased during the first two years, returning to levels pre-fire, 5 years post-fire. The rainfall threshold for overland flow generation was lower during the following months after the prescribed fire owing to the depletion of the vegetation cover. Immediately after the fire, the vegetation cover was of 1.9%, being the three main soil surface components that dominated the hydrological response: charcoal and decayed wood; blackish and greyish ash, and bare soil. However, these areas decreased very rapidly during the second year following the fire, principally, owing to the regrowth of herbaceous plants and shrubs. In addition, the vegetation cover in burned plots was 16.1% higher than that measured in the unburned ones. Overall, the prescribed fire only had an impact on runoff and sediment transport in the two years post-fire, as consequence of vegetation removal.

La transición hacia una economía circular, en la que los recursos se conserven y se reduzca la generación de residuos, es una necesidad real para lograr una economía sostenible. Dentro de ella, cobra particular importancia la gestión de los residuos orgánicos o bioresiduos, tanto por la cantidad que suponen como por las implicaciones ambientales de su mala gestión. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar los efectos de los bioresiduos como técnicas de restauración en paisajes forestales mediterráneos degradados. Para el mismo, se utilizan dos tipos de acolchados orgánicos generados como subproductos de actividades silvícolas y agrícolas en el entorno más inmediato al área de estudio: (i) bioresiduo tipo acolchado de restos de paja y; (ii) bioresiduo tipo acolchados de astillas de pino carrasco (Pinus halepensis Mill.). Nuestros resultados describen un aumento de la macro-agregación y las tasas de infiltración del suelo, en los primeros en los 24 primero meses, tras la adición de los dos tipos de bioresiduos. Ello ha permitido un mejor aprovechamiento del agua disponible en el perfil del suelo, generando aumento en las tasas de supervivencia. Desde un punto de vista de gestión forestal, tras este estudio, se puede sugerir el uso de bioresiduos en los procesos de restauración de cubierta en áreas forestales mediterráneas. Nowadays, the transition to a Circular Economy, in which wastes can be reduced, responds to a real and tangible need. Base on this, the management of organic residues acquires special prominence. This is because of the huge amount of wastes pr oduced and the environmental implications of their mismanagement. Based on this premise, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of certain types of organic residues as restoration techniques in a degraded Mediterranean area. Two types of or ganic wastes are selected: (i) straw mulch; and (ii) mulch with chipped branch of Pinushalepensis Mill . The wastes have been generated as secondary products during forestry and agricultural activities in the surrounding area. Independently of the treatment applied, our results show an increase in macro - aggregate stability and in the infiltration rates. This implies more available water for plants and, thus, the increment in the rates of survival plants. Consequently, the use of bio - wastes can be an effectiv e management technique to restore Mediterranean degraded areas.

El ratio LE (logarítmico exponencial) es una herramienta geomorfológica para ajustar perfiles longitudinales fluviales aplicando una ecuación. Los resultados permiten evaluar y cuantificar anomalías o rupturas (knickpoints) con diferentes orígenes. Para este caso, se analizaron 33 pequeñas cuencas de un sector de la costa septentrional del Mar de Alborán (Málaga-Granada, España), que se compararon entre sí utilizando ratio LE y otros modelos (Hack, Shulits y Green). En todos los casos se obtuvo mediante ratio LE una correlación lineal de R2≥0,95 (p

Desertification is occurring throughout the mountainous areas of the Mediterranean. These processes lead to reduced soil fertility, increased soil loss, and reduced vegetation cover and species richness. To prevent further damage, it is recommendable to use low-cost approaches that are compatible with the European Strategy of Circular Economy guidelines. We investigated the systemic benefits from recycling of forest clearance residue by adding it to a dry Mediterranean mountainous area. More specifically, we performed afforestation without addition of residue in two control plots (C plots), and afforestation with addition of 10 Mg ha− 1 of clearance residue from a nearby region dominated by Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.) in two other plots (PM plots). We conducted the experiments throughout 30 months after the afforestation process. Eighteen months after the intervention, the PM plots had significant increases in the soil organic carbon (SOC), and related increases in ecosystem productivity and stability. More generally, addition of clearance residues improved soil and vegetation recovery, and contributed to more successful afforestation. The improvements may be explained by an increase of infiltration process due to the physical changes in the soil following bio-waste addition. Addition of the forest residues increased the formation of soil macrochannels, and also increased the sink area, thereby improving the hydrodynamics of the ecosystem. Thus, soil loss was reduced by 98.2% in the PM plots relative to the C plots. Our study indicates that application of forest clearance residues to Mediterranean mountainous areas is an effective land management practice that produces very little waste, and it is in accordance with European policy.

It is well known that rainfall causes soil erosion in sloping German vineyards, but little is known about the effect of age of plantation on soil erosion, which is relevant to understand and design sustainable management systems. In the Ruwer-Mosel valley, young (1- to 4-years) and old (35- to 38-years after the plantation) vineyards were selected to assess soil and water losses by using two-paired Gerlach troughs over three years (2013-2015). In the young vineyard, the overland flow was 107 L m-1 and soil loss 1000 g m-1 in the year of the plantation, and decreased drastically over the two subsequent years (19 L m-1; 428 g m-1). In the old vineyard, soil (from 1081 g m-1 to 1308 g m-1) and water (from 67 L m-1 to 102 L m-1) losses were 1.2 and 1.63 times higher, respectively, than in the young vineyard.

Many areas from the Mediterranean region are characterised by steep slope gradient, patchy vegetation cover and soil surface conditions prone to overland flow generation and sediment transport. This study evaluated the hydrological and sediment connectivity between sections (top, middle and bottom-channel) from three low pressure grazed hillslopes located under contrasted Mediterranean climatic conditions in southern Spain. The aim was performed by installing rain-gauge stations and opened-plots in order to register overland flow and sediment concentration from Feb-2008 to Jan-2010. The results indicated that: i) major volumes of overland flow and sediment transport occurred more frequently in the humid and semiarid; ii) the more frequent hydrological connectivity was observed between the middle and bottom-channel sections, though the major values of overland flow and sediment concentration were registered in the upper sections; iii) it was found very frequent those rainfall events in which all sections contributed with overland flow and sediment to the channel; iv) the factors controlling hydrological and sediment connectivity varied from one site to another depending on the rainfall regime and vegetation cover, though the soil surface conditions (rock fragment cover either embedded or not embedded, crusts, annual plants, among others) were found a key factor in all of them. In summary, the grazing activity, even being of low pressure, contributes to distance the hydrological and sediment connectivity from the response expected in the field sites, especially, in that of humid Mediterranean climate: more overland flow and less sediment concentration and, vice versa, when becomes arid.

Soil mapping has been considered as an important factor in the widening of Soil Science and giving response to many different environmental questions. Geostatistical techniques, through kriging and co-kriging techniques, have made possible to improve the understanding of eco-geomorphologic variables, e.g., soil moisture. This study is focused on mapping of topsoil moisture using geostatistical techniques under different Mediterranean climatic conditions (humid, dry and semiarid) in three small watersheds and considering topography and soil properties as key factors. A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a resolution of 1 × 1 m was derived from a topographical survey as well as soils were sampled to analyzed soil properties controlling topsoil moisture, which was measured during 4-years. Afterwards, some topography attributes were derived from the DEM, the soil properties analyzed in laboratory, and the topsoil moisture was modeled for the entire watersheds applying three geostatistical techniques: i) ordinary kriging; ii) co-kriging considering as co-variate topography attributes; and iii) co-kriging ta considering as co-variates topography attributes and gravel content. The results indicated topsoil moisture was more accurately mapped in the dry and semiarid watersheds when co-kriging procedure was performed. The study is a contribution to improve the efficiency and accuracy of studies about the Mediterranean eco-geomorphologic system and soil hydrology in field conditions.

En la mayoria de las propuestas forestales para ambientes semiaridos, la respuesta positiva de la recolonizacion vegetal se ve limitada por las condiciones climaticas y la escasez de agua y nutrientes presentes en el suelo. Es por ello que, en estos ambientes, se hace necesaria la busqueda de metodos alternativos que, con bajo coste economico, garanticen el exito de cualquier actuacion forestal. Este estudio trata de analizar el efecto de dos tipos de acolchados organicos sobre la viabilidad de una reforestacion bajo condiciones forestales semiaridas. Para el diseno experimental se ha establecido un set de 6 parcelas experimentales: (i) dos parcelas reforestadas y enmendadas con un mulch de paja (10 Mg ha -1 ) (SM); (ii) dos parcelas reforestadas y enmendadas con un mulch de restos de poda ( Pinus halepensis Mill.) (10 Mg ha -1 ) (PM); y (iii) dos parcelas reforestadas sobre suelo desnudo, conjunto control (C). Todas las parcelas se han reforestado con el mismo numero de plantas y patron espacial de arbustos mediterraneos. Los resultados muestran que, 30 meses despues de la reforestacion, no se observan diferencias significativas en el contenido de carbono organico del suelo entre los suelos con acolchados organicos de paja o poda y el control. Sin embargo, si se han observado diferencias en la cantidad y disponibilidad de agua util para la vegetacion. Esto se interpreta como una reduccion del estres hidrico post-transplante, que permite amortiguar la estacionalidad mediterranea, generando un efecto positivo para la supervivencia y crecimiento de las plantas reforestadas. De cara a la gestion forestal para ambientes semiaridos, podemos concluir que el tratamiento del suelo con acolchados organicos, paja o poda, se traduce en un aumento del exito de los programas de reforestacion.

Suitable vineyard soils enhance soil stability and biodiversity which in turn protects roots against erosion and nutrient losses. There is a lack of information related to inexpensive and suitable methods and tools to protect the soil in Mediterranean sloping vineyards (>25° of slope inclination). In the vineyards of the Montes de Malaga (southern Spain), a sustainable land management practice that controls soil erosion is actually achieved by tilling rills in the down-slope direction to canalize water and sediments. Because of their design and use, we call them agri-spillways. In this research, we assessed two agri-spillways (between 10 m and 15 m length, and slopes between 25.8° and 35°) by performing runoff experiments under extreme conditions (a motor driven pump that discharged water flows up to 1.33 l s-1 for 12 to 15 minutes: ≈1000 l). The final results showed: i) a great capacity by these rills to canalize large amounts of water and sediments; and, ii) higher water flow speeds (between 0.16 m s-1 and 0.28 m s-1) and sediment concentration rates (up to 1538.6 g l-1) than typically found in other Mediterranean areas and land uses (such as badlands, rangelands or extensive crops of olives and almonds). The speed of water flow and the sediment concentration were much higher in the shorter and steeper rill. We concluded that agri-spillways, given correct planning and maintenance, can be a potential solution as an inexpensive method to protect the soil in sloping Mediterranean vineyards.

El incremento de la frecuencia de la torrencialidad en ámbitos mediterráneos es una cuestión preocupante y no solo desde el punto de vista hidrogeomorfológico, sino también desde el humano, socioeconómico e infraestructural. La definición del umbral de torrencialidad es clave para determinar la peligrosidad de un territorio determinado. En este estudio ajustamos diferentes clasificaciones de torrencialidad con los problemas e impactos identificados en dos áreas mediterráneas contrastadas de la provincia de Málaga, una de ellas caracterizada por un clima mediterráneo subhúmedo (Guadalhorce), y otra por un clima mediterráneo seco-semiárido (Axarquía). A partir del análisis de los datos pluviométricos de 18 observatorios (Red SAIH), los resultados determinan una escasa recurrencia de los eventos torrenciales predefinidos (>100 mm 24 h-1; >60 mm h-1), razón por la que proponemos el uso de un nuevo umbral de torrencialidad de menor duración, pero mucha más elevada intensidad (>10 mm 10 min-1), debido a que son muchos los episodios producidos por debajo de los umbrales anteriores, pero con consecuencias territoriales, como hemos constatado en el análisis mediático. La precipitación que se ajusta a este criterio ha sido definida como “precipitación geomorfológica” por su elevada capacidad de generar alteraciones en los componentes superficiales del territorio. Este tipo de precipitación presenta en ambos ambientes una alta recurrencia, un periodo de retorno prácticamente anual y una elevada erosividad.

Mediterranean mountains are facing great environmental and socioeconomic challenges in the current framework of Global Change. One of these is soil degradation, which is one of the major threats in those territories. Soil degradation is more dramatic where eco-geomorphology and land uses with less vegetation cover promote soil erosion. Soil erosion is influenced by soil erodibility, which can be assessed by different methodologies, e.g. RUSLE K factor and aggregate stability of soils. This study deals with the validation of RUSLE K factor by means of soil aggregate stability analysed in two-contrasted watersheds from one Mediterranean mountainous region in South of Spain, under sub-humid and semiarid climatic conditions. In both of them, landscape dynamic from 1956 to 2016 was analysed in order to characterize the modifications in land uses. A total of 361-soil samples was also taken covering all land uses for analysing aggregate stability of soils as well as those soil properties needed to calculate the RUSLE K factor. The results indicated that: i) landscape dynamic was influenced by changes in land uses contributing mainly to an increment in vegetation cover in the rainiest watershed; ii) the analysed soil properties showed very few significant differences between watersheds and between land uses, especially regarding organic matter content; and iii) the validation of K Factor using aggregate stability was better in the rainiest watershed and, within this one, in the natural land uses and irrigated cultivations, meaning where the biotic factors were more influential. These results implicated more researches are necessary, principally, focussed on the validation of the RUSLE K parameter using different fractions of aggregates as well as considering other eco-geomorphological parameters.

New trends related to market incomes, cultural human development, non-sustainable soil management practices, and climate change are affecting land abandonment in Mediterranean sloping vineyards. It is generally accepted that hydrological processes and, subsequently, soil erosion rates are usually different between cultivated and abandoned soils. However, these alterations are still poorly studied in relation to the general weather conditions in vineyards and abandoned vineyards. Thus, the main goals of this research are to (1) estimate the differences in soil properties, (2) quantify water and soil losses due to rainfall and specific soil management practices, and (3) analyze which kind of weather type and rainfall event is able to generate specific surface flows and soil loss rates. To achieve these goals, we focused on the specific case of the sloping vineyards of the Montes de Málaga (South Spain). We used 4 paired-erosion plots with Gerlach troughs to quantify soil loss and surface flow and conducted an analysis of the weather conditions during each rainfall event. The weather types that generated the highest amount of rainfall in the studied area came from the western (32.6%) and southeast (28.2%) types. The low rainfall events came from the south type (5.9%) and at the 500 hPa level, whereas the rainiest ones came from the southwest (47.7%) and south (34.1%). It is confirmed that there is a bimodality in the rainfall patterns. The results of soil erosion showed that there is a mixed mechanism depending on the state of the soil (vegetation cover, compaction, and initial soil moisture), soil management (tillage, trampling effect, and the use of herbicides). It is observed that the intensity of surface flow is highly correlated to the total rainfall amount and intensity. In the poorly managed abandoned plot, it is important to remark that the effect of tillage in the past, the elimination of the vegetation cover to preserve the soil in bare condition, and its use as a grazing area by cultivating barley highly affects the generation of the highest erosive events. Therefore, it is confirmed that these soil management options are not the most sustainable way to conserve the soil after the abandonment of cultivation.

Afforestation programs in semiarid areas are associated with a high level of sapling mortality. Therefore, the development of alternative low-cost and low-environmental-impact afforestation methods that ensure the survival of seedlings is crucial for improving the efficiency of Mediterranean forest management. This study assessed the effects of five types of soil amendments on the afforestation success (e.g., plant growth and survival) of a Mediterranean semiarid area. The amendments tested were (i) straw mulch; (ii) mulch containing chipped branches of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis L.); (iii) sheep manure compost; (iv) sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant; and (v) TerraCottem hydroabsorbent polymer. We hypothesized that in the context of dry Mediterranean climatic conditions, the use of organic amendments would enhance plant establishment and ensure successful afforestation. The results showed that afforestation success varied among the various soil amendment treatments in the experimental plots. The amendments had no effect on soil organic carbon, pH, or salinity, but the results indicated that the addition of mulch or hydroabsorbent polymer can reduce transplant stress by increasing the soil water available for plant growth throughout the hydrological year, and potentially improve the success of afforestation by reducing plant mortality.

Los suelos de los vinedos del valle del Ruwer-Mosela (Alemania) cultivados en elevadas pendientes muestran una alta variabilidad espacio-temporal en su dinamica hidrologica. A traves del uso del permeametro de Guelph se realizaron un total de cuarenta y dos experimentos en vinedos jovenes y viejos para medir las tasas de infiltracion, la conductividad hidraulica y el potencial del flujo matricial. Los ensayos fueron realizados antes de la vendimia coincidiendo con la primavera y el verano (con el suelo relativamente seco y sin actividad reciente de pisadas y maquinaria), y tras la cosecha en otono (con un manto edafico humedo, con senales de compactacion y un menor contenido de materia organica). En general, todos los parametros analizados fueron mucho mas elevados en los vinedos jovenes que en los viejos y aumentaron tras la vendimia. En las vinas jovenes los tres parametros analizados mostraron sus mayores valores en la parte media (398,5 mm h -1 de tasa de infiltracion, 89,2 mm h -1 de conductividad hidraulica y 62,8 mm 2 h -1 de potencial del flujo matricial). Por su parte, en las vinas viejas se observo un descenso de la infiltracion desde la parte superior a la inferior de la parcela (desde 42,5 a 16,8 mm h -1 ). Los resultados de la conductividad hidraulica y el potencial del flujo matricial marcaron tambien una dinamica hidrologica parecida: descenso de los parametros conforme se desciende en la parcela (13,2 a 5,4 mm h -1 y desde 5,5 a 2,5 mm 2 h -1 ). Por ultimo, se observo como el factor que mayor coeficiente de determinacion obtuvo con estas dinamicas hidrologicas fue la variacion del contenido de agua en el suelo y las practicas agricolas.

Understanding soil erosion processes in the Ecuadorian Andes with a tropical wet-dry climate and a variable topography, is fundamental for research on agriculture sustainable, environmental management, as well as for a stable water supply for the local populations. This work proposes method to estimate soil erosion risk in the semiarid Catamayo basin with limited data. The results show that the rainfall distribution and the erosivity along with the rugged topography, followed by the land cover (C-factor), are the most important factors to estimate soil erosion risk. The soil erodibility is the most important factor in the dry season for agricultural areas and where the ground cover is sparse. Soil erosion risk is higher in the centre and southwest than in the northeast of Catamayo basin. In protected areas with evergreen vegetation, the soil erosion risk is very low, even with steep slopes and high annual rainfall amounts. The methodology developed allows understanding of the soil erosion processes and the factors that lead to the spatio-temporal variability of soil erosion risk, and as a consequence improves the potential to achieve sustainability of this ecosystem through proposed conservation measures.

This study deals with the experimental fire effects in overland flow and soil erosion at plot scale and considering rainfall erosivity. The study was conducted in from May 2011 to Dec 2013. Six plots of 12-m length and 2-m width are considered: four of them were burned, whilst two of them remained in natural conditions. Overland flow was collected in deposits of 250 L after each rainfall event, measured at a meteorological station. Larger rainfall intensities and erosivity were registered after summer and, thus, overland flow and sediment yield, but one order of magnitude higher in the burned plots than in the unburned ones. Especially, the difference in overland flow and soil loss between both set of plots were nearly three folds larger whether the rainfall intensity exceeded 30 mm h−1 during 15-min intensity. It is remarkable that the most erosive event generating the maximum values of overland flow and soil loss was registered 16 months after the experimental fire when a rainfall event of 99·2 mm h−1 occurred. This delay is considered as consequence of soil surface conditions and ash cover. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Este artículo contiene 16 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablas., Soil degradation by water is a serious environmental problem worldwide, with specific climatic factors being the major causes. We investigated the relationships between synoptic atmospheric patterns (i.e. weather types, WTs) and runoff, erosion and sediment yield throughout the Mediterranean basin by analyzing a large database of natural rainfall events at 68 research sites in 9 countries. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify spatial relationships of the different WTs including three hydro-sedimentary variables: rainfall, runoff, and sediment yield (SY, used to refer to both soil erosion measured at plot scale and sediment yield registered at catchment scale). The results indicated 4 spatial classes of rainfall and runoff: (a) northern sites dependent on North (N) and North West (NW) flows; (b) eastern sites dependent on E and NE flows; (c) southern sites dependent on S and SE flows; and, finally, (d) western sites dependent on W and SW flows. Conversely, three spatial classes are identified for SY characterized by: (a) N and NE flows in northern sites (b) E flows in eastern sites, and (c) Wand SW flows in western sites. Most of the rainfall, runoff and SY occurred during a small number of daily events, and just a few WTs accounted for large percentages of the total. Our results confirm that characterization by WT improves understanding of the general conditions under which runoff and SY occur, and provides useful information for understanding the spatial variability of runoff, and SY throughout the Mediterranean basin. The approach used here could be useful to aid of the design of regional water management and soil conservation measures., This research was supported by projects funded by the MINECOFEDER: CGL2014-52135-C3-3-R, CGL2014-59946-R, CGL2015-65569- R, CGL2015-64284-C2-2-R, and PCIN-2017-061/AEI. When this manuscript was first submitted Estela Nadal-Romero and Damià Vericat received a “Ramón y Cajal” postdoctoral contract (RYC-2013-14371 and RYC‐2010‐06264, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, MEC). Damià Vericat is now a Serra Húnter Fellow at the University of Lleida. María Fernández-Raga received a “José Castillejo” postdoctoral grant (Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports). Carla Ferreira was supported by a post-doctoral research grant from the Portuguese Science and Technology Foundation (SFRH/ BPD/120093/2016). Mariano Moreno-de las Heras received a Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral contract (IJCI-2015-26463) from the MEC. José Andrés López-Tarazón received a Vicenç Mut postdoctoral fellowship from the Autonomous Balearic Government (CAIB PD/038/2016). José Andrés López-Tarazón and Ramon Batalla also acknowledge the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Department of the Economy and Knowledge of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia for supporting the Consolidated Research Group 2014 SGR 645 (RIUSFluvial Dynamics Research Group), and the CERCA Programme. This paper has benefited from the Lab and Field Data Pool created within the framework of the COST action CONNECTEUR (ES1306).

Badlands are present throughout the world, but not everywhere do they have the same morphology. The main objective of this study is to try to understand why these different morphologies occur by analysing the physical-chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the parental material in which badlands have developed. The study was carried out in three areas of the Region of Murcia (south-east Spain): Abanilla, Mula and Gebas. Several analyses were carried out: (i) field analysis (orientation, slope, length and shape of the slope, presence and characteristics of the rills, vegetation, vegetation pedestals, exposed roots, stoniness, physical and biological crusts, saline efflorescence, cracks, popcorn, piping processes, sedimentation areas and mass movements); (ii) physical-chemical analysis of the soils (colour, texture, aggregate stability, bulk density, organic matter, pH, electrical conductivity, cations and cation exchange capacity, total or equivalent calcium carbonate, sodium absorption ratio and exchangeable sodium percentage); and (iii) mineralogical analysis. The results of the analyses reveal how the rounded shapes in the badlands that appear in Abanilla have significant differences with respect to the angled shapes of Mula and Gebas, which could explain the different morphologies. In general, Abanilla has very small amount of sand, higher bulk density, small amount of organic matter, lower cation exchange capacity, and very high salinity, as shown in the values of electrical conductivity, sodio, SAR and ESP. On the other hand, similarities were found between the badlands of the Region of Murcia with the calanchi (angled shapes) and biancane (rounded shapes) of Italy.

In this Special Issue, we have tried to include manuscripts about soil erosion and degradation processes and the accelerated rates due to hydrological processes and climate change. We considered that the main goal was successfully reached. The new research focused on measurements, modelling, and experiments under field or laboratory conditions developed at different scales (pedon, hillslope, and catchment) were submitted and published. This Special Issue received investigations from different parts of the world such as Ethiopia, Morocco, China, Iran, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain, among others. We are happy to see that all papers presented findings characterized as unconventional, provocative, innovative and methodologically new. We hope that the readers of the journal Water can enjoy and learn about hydrology and soil erosion using the published material, and share the results with the scientific community, policymakers and stakeholders new research to continue this amazing adventure, featuring plenty of issues and challenges.

Southern Spain is characterized by a longitudinal pluviometric gradient over a distance of approximately 260 km, where the annual rainfall ranges from 1668 mm y−1 in the west (Sierra de Grazalema) to only 150 mm y−1 in the east (Cabo de Gata). Along this gradient during the last 70 years there have been trends of increasing rain in the west and increasing aridity in the east. The threshold annual rainfall level separating these regions is approximately 500 mm. For this study we selected two experimental basins having different geo-morphodynamic variables, each representing one side of this threshold. We used these basins for analysis of changes in land use and characterization of physiographic, soil cover, physical, chemical, and hydrological variables. We developed a database, applied statistical normalization, and then performed principal component analysis to identify the main geomorphological components explaining the variance. Our quantitative and cartographic results identified particular factors (vegetated areas, water resources, and soil degradation) that most control geomorphological processes, and explain the landscape dynamics in this region over recent decades.

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was used to predict the soil organic carbon (SOC) contents at local scale in eleven target sites. For that, eight spectral libraries of different sizes (ranging from 3482 to 36 samples) were used to construct national, provincial and local scale models. Inaccurate predictions were obtained except when the largest national library was used to construct the model. We also obtained SOC predictions once the models were adapted to target sites characteristics. For the models’ adaptation, we used a two-step approach consisting on spiking (as first step) and extra-weighting (as second step). The effect of spiking was small in larger-sized models and high in smaller-sized models, whereas the effect of extra-weighting was small in smaller-sized models and large in larger-sized models. The very high accuracy obtained after models’ adaptation (R2 > 0.95; RPIQ > 5.48), regardless of the size of the spectral library, suggests that large spectral libraries are not needed for local scale SOC assessment. These results have important implications regarding the way that NIR spectroscopy can result highly effective for land management and how users can focus and organize the analytical efforts.

En una ladera representativa de los Montes de Malaga, de antiguo manejo agricola y actualmente cubierta por vegetacion de matorral, se han medido las variaciones estacionales de la generacion de escorrentia y la emision de sedimentos en los distintos ambientes que conforman su sistema eco-geomorfologico. Ello fue llevado a cabo mediante dos tecnicas: 1) simulaciones de lluvia realizadas en octubre de 2004 (inicio de la estacion hidrodinamica activa) y marzo 2005 (mediados de la estacion hidrodinamica activa), y 2) seguimiento de la afeccion de eventos de lluvia reales en parcelas cerradas de diferentes longitudes. Los resultados ofrecen unas variaciones estacionales considerables: i) predominio de las condiciones favorables para la generacion de escorrentia en otono, por la presencia de un suelo extremadamente seco tras el verano, mostrando sintomas de hidrofobia; y ii) predominio de la infiltracion a mediados de la estacion humeda una vez que el suelo fue humedeciendose a lo largo de esta. The seasonal changes of the runoff generation and sediment emission have been measured at a slope from Montes de Malaga. This slope was cultivated until fifty years ago and it is occupied by shrub vegetation now. Measures were carried out in every one of the environments which composed the eco-geomorphological system of the slope. Two methodologies have been used for the purpose: 1) rainfall simulations during October 2004 (beginning of active hydrodynamic season) and March 2005 (middle of active hydrodynamic season), and 2) closedplots with different longitude. Results shows considerable seasonal changes: i) favourable conditions for runoff generation in Autumn a cause of a soil very dry after the summer showing hydrophoby, and ii) conditions for infiltration at the middle of the wet season once the soil was moistured along the active hydrodynamic season.

El diagnostico de los recursos ambientales incluidos los hidrologicos, de un pais, region o cuenca, es una tarea de primer orden, dada la importancia que tienen para el desarrollo socio-economico, especialmente en los momentos actuales donde se relaciona tanto determinados deficits ambientales como la propia crisis del agua, con las consecuencias directas del cambio global. En Cuba, el manejo de cuencas puede dividirse en dos grandes etapas: la primera que comprende el periodo 1960–1985 que se caracterizo por un Manejo Sectorial especialmente dirigido hacia los sectores de los recursos hidricos, los recursos agroforestales y a la agricultura extensiva. La segunda etapa, comprende el periodo 1986–2004, donde, sin abandonar el manejo sectorial, se hace notar con mas fuerza el llamado Manejo Integral, teniendo en la dimension medioambiental el principal acicate. Unida a la variable pluviometria, hay una diversa disponibilidad temporal del recurso agua, y pese a las obras hidraulicas construidas para suplir su deficit, no ha podido evitarse que en muchas zonas del pais existan en los ultimos anos dificultades de abastecimiento. La ocurrencia de anos con lluvias inferiores a la media historica, unido a su mal aprovechamiento, crean condiciones perjudiciales para la sociedad, la economia y el medio ambiente. Bajo estos planteamientos, el objetivo del presente articulo es analizar las caracteristicas geoambientales con especial interes en la problematica del agua en una zona especialmente sensible como es la cuenca de Guanabo, situada entre La Habana y el polo turistico de Varadero. Diagnosis of environmental resources including hydrological, for a country, region or watershed, is a major task, given the importance that have socio-economic development, especially at the present time which relates both certain environmental deficits and own crisis of water, with the direct consequences of global change. In Cuba, watershed management can be divided into two major stages: the first covering the period 1960-1985 was characterized by a particularly directed towards sectors of water resources, extensive agriculture and forestry resources sectorial management. The second stage covers the period 1986-2004, where, without abandoning the sectorial management, it is noted more forcefully the so-called comprehensive management, taking the main spur on the environmental dimension. Coupled with variable rainfall, there is a diverse temporary availability of the resource water, and despite built to meet its deficit hydraulic works, not have been avoided exist in recent years supply problems in many areas of the country. The occurrence of years below the historical average rainfall coupled with bad use, created conditions harmful to society, the economy and the environment. Under these approaches, this article aims to analyze characteristics geoambientales with special interest in the problems of water into a sensitive area as it is basin Guanabo, situated between Cuba and the tourist pole of Varadero.

Nadal-Romero...[et.al.], Precipitation has been recognized as one of the main factors driving soil erosion and sediment yield (SY), and its spatial and temporal variability is recognized as one of the main reasons for spatial and temporal analyses of soil erosion variability. The weather types (WTs) approach classifies the continuum of atmospheric circulation into a small number of categories or types and has been proven a good indicator of the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation. Thus, the main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between WTs, runoff, soil erosion (measured in plots), and sediment yield (measured in catchments) in different areas of the Iberian Peninsula (IP) with the aim of detecting spatial variations in these relationships. To this end, hydrological and sediment information covering the IP from several Spanish research teams has been combined, and related with daily WTs estimated by using the NMC/NCAR 40-Year Reanalysis Project. The results show that, in general, a few WTs (particularly westerly, southwesterly and cyclonic) provide the largest amounts of precipitation; and southwesterly, northwesterly and westerly WTs play an important role in runoff generation, erosion and sediment yield as they coincide with the wettest WTs. However, this study highlights the spatial variability of erosion and sediment yield in the IP according to WT, differentiating (1) areas under the influence of north and/or north-westerly flows (the north coast of Cantabria and inland central areas), (2) areas under the influence of westerly, southwesterly and cyclonic WTs (western and southwestern IP), (3) areas in which erosion and sediment yield are controlled by easterly flows (Mediterranean coastland), and (4) lastly, a transitional zone in the inland northeast Ebro catchment, where we detected a high variability in the effects of WTs on erosion. Overall results suggest that the use of WTs derived from observed atmospheric pressure patterns could be a useful tool for inclusion in future projections of the spatial variability of erosion and sediment yield, as models capture pressure fields reliably. © 2014 Elsevier B.V., Support for this research was provided by the projects: HIDROCAES (CGL2011-27574-C02-01 and 02), INDICA (CGL2011-27753-CO2-01 and 02), and CGL2010-21754-C02-01 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition and FSE. Thanks to the AEMeT for the rainfall data, and to Roberto Serrano for his helpful assistance in the precipitation analysis. Thanks to the reviewers and the editor for their detailed work to improve this article. E. Nadal-Romero was the recipient of a research contract (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition, Programme Juan de la Cierva), and now she is a Marie Curie postdoctoral researcher supported by the UE (project “MED-AFFOREST” PIEF-GA-2013-624974).

El presente trabajo pretende examinar la respuesta erosiva del suelo en áreas cultivadas de viñe-dos sobre laderas en pendientes elevadas en el Valle del Ruwer (Alemania) a través de diferentes técnicas. Los experimentos se desarrollan entre los meses de septiembre y diciembre durante di-ferentes épocas de manejo del suelo: antes, durante y después de la vendimia. En primer lugar, se realiza un análisis de la variación geométrica de tres rills para cuantificar su expansión lateral (de 7 a 13 cm) y vertical (1 a 4 cm). El movimiento del suelo confirma una elevada variabilidad en los procesos hidro-geomorfológicos de la ladera. A continuación, a través del cálculo del coeficiente teórico de escorrentía a partir del número de curva y lluvias simuladas en diferentes épocas del año, se observan unas elevadas tasas de infiltración, aunque con resultados muy diferentes entre técnicas. Por último, con el cálculo de la RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Ecuation) y el aná-lisis de las marcas botánicas en los tocones de las parras, se calcula el impacto negativo de la ero-sión con el manejo agrícola del ser humano sobre los suelos de los viñedos. Con ambos métodos, se han obtenido 11.28 t ha-1 y 3.4 t ha-1 año de pérdida de suelo, respectivamente.

Hortonian overland-flow is responsible for significant amounts of soil loss in Mediterranean geomorphological systems. Restoring the native vegetation is the most effective way to control runoff and sediment yield. During the seeding and plant establishment, vegetation cover may be better sustained if soil is amended with an external source. Four amendments were applied in an experimental set of plots: straw mulching (SM); mulch with chipped branches of Aleppo Pine ( Pinus halepensis L.) (PM); TerraCottem hydroabsorbent polymer (HP); and sewage sludge (RU). Plots were afforested following the same spatial pattern, and amendments were mixed with the soil at the rate 10 Mg ha − 1 . This research demonstrates the role played by the treatments in overland flow generation mechanism. On one hand, the high macroporosity of SM and PM, together with the fact that soil moisture increased with depth, explains weak overland flow and thus low sediment yield due to saturation conditions. Therefore, regarding overland flow and sediment yield, RU behaves similarly to SM and PM. On the other hand, when HP was applied, overland flow developed quickly with relatively high amounts. This, together with the decrease downward in soil moisture along the soil profile, proved that mechanisms of overland flow are of the Hortonian type.

Restoring the native vegetation is one of the most effective ways to control soil degradation in Mediterranean areas, especially in very degraded areas. In the initial months after afforestation, vegetation cover establishment and soil quality could be better sustained if the soil was amended with an external extra source of organic matter. The goal of this study was to test the effect of various organic amendments on select soil properties [soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, and electrical conductivity (EC)] over a 24-month period. Four amendments were applied in an experimental set of plots: straw mulching (SM), mulch with chipped branches of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis L.; PM), sheep manure compost (SH), and sewage sludge (RU). Plots were afforested following the same spatial pattern, and amendments were mixed with the soil at the rate 10 Mg ha−1. Organic amendments helped maintain SOC over the initial 6 months after the afforestation. However, only the SM and PM treatments had increased SOC values after 24 months. Decreases in EC were found after the addition of SM, PM, and SH amendments. However, RU increased EC values 24 months after the afforestation. Variations in pH values were not sufficient to establish differences among the various treatments. Furthermore, the results show that forest soils with or without organic amendments responded similarly to the seasonal changes in Mediterranean conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.