The present paper highlights the importance of hedgerows and enclosures in the mountains of Central Spain. Now, these landscapes have suffered profound variations in terms of agroforestry practices, especially in the Mediterranean mountains where the characteristic multifunctional has largely been lost. The article analyzes land uses changes, dynamics, and their morphological features between the first half of the 20th Century (1956) and the second decade of the present time (2019). The paper was divided into three sections. First, the identification of land uses using orthophotograph and aerial photograph; after that the info was checked with fieldwork. Eleven categories were identified according to the dominant use and land use changes and size of land parcels were taken into consideration. Second, the configuration and the information collected through the type and intensity of change in land uses made it possible to recognise and quantify their distribution and trend between these two dates. Also, the kernel density algorithm available in the Arcgis 10.5 software was used to obtain density and changes in land parcels. Finally, an overview is given of the main role that this agroforestry plays due to the social, ecological, and economic benefits that they provide for allowing sustainable development.

Highlights Hedgerow network mapping in a continental Mediterranean mountain using GIS and Remote Sensing. Identify the different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2. Analyse of the evolution of hedgerow area from 1956 to the present time from aerial pictures and satellite images and their correlation with surface soil moisture and slope. A classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region (Central System, Spain).

River areas are undoubtedly among the most valuable territorial areas in Europe, not only in terms of their eco-landscape and use but also, culturally. However, there is currently a sharp reduction in the extension and increase of deterioration of riverbanks around the world. A substantial part of losses and deterioration are associated with the artificialization of the territories, derived mainly from a less than respectful urbanization around these landscapes. Urban and peri-urban riverbanks are landscapes in expansion due to the continuous growth of built-up spaces. Therefore, they should be areas of preferential consideration, especially in territories with a marked tendency to dryness, like the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of these spaces through the study of four distinct cases in the centre of the peninsula, in particular: the river Manzanares running through the city of Madrid, the river Tagus in Toledo and running through Talavera de la Reina, and the river Henares in Guadalajara. Three of the four urban water courses analyzed are zones of special interest for waterfowl: they sustain a winter population that varies between 745 and 1529 birds and they provide a home to some globally threatened species. The density of the riparian birds is also very high during winter, these values oscillating between a mean of 141.16 and 240.12 birds/10 ha. It should be noted that the diversity of this group of birds in the four regions studies is also high (H > 2.4 nats). The article also examines the interventions and the urban planning criteria applied to these urban and peri-urban river spaces, inferring the need to reassess urban planning in river areas to ensure it is compatible with their operation, values and possible uses.

This paper proposes a method of landscape characterisation and assessment of public works associated with fluvial landscapes, which is validated in the middle section of the Tajo River. In this method, a set of criteria is identified that unifies various characteristics of the landscape associated to the infrastructures. A specific weight is then assigned to each criterion in such a way as to produce a semi-quantitative value ranging from a minimum value of 0 to a maximum value of 10. Taken together, these criteria enable us to describe and assess the value of the public works selected for study, in this case helping us to evaluate the sections of the River Tajo analysed in our study area. Accordingly, the value of all the infrastructures associated to a stretch of the river covering several hundred kilometres was determined and after dividing this stretch into sections, they were compared under equivalent conditions to provide a hierarchal ranking.

RESUMEN:Los grandes ríos ibéricos son ámbitos de interés para las aves acuáticas. Su importancia es especialmente destacada en ciclos climáticos secos, cuando la mayor parte de las zonas húmedas naturales o seminaturales permanecen secas o registran bajos niveles de agua. La importancia de estos medios varía, no obstante, en relación con las características del paisaje fluvial, especialmente las referidas a la calidad del agua, funcionamiento hidráulico, naturalidad del régimen hidrológico o morfología del canal. En este artículo se analizan las características básicas de las comunidades de aves acuáticas de los ríos Ebro, Tajo y Jarama, tres cursos fluviales situados en los sectores centrales de dos grandes cuencas sedimentarias terciarias, equiparables por su potencialidad natural aunque afectados en diverso grado por distintas intervenciones antrópicas. Este análisis se basa en los resultados de censos de aves acuáticas realizados durante un ciclo anual sobre más de 64 km de cauces. PALABRAS CLAVE: aves acuáticas, ríos, paisaje fluvial, Ebro, Tajo, Jarama. WATERBIRDS AND FLUVIAL LANDSCAPES ALONG THE BANKS OF THE EBRO, TAJO AND JARAMA RIVERS. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICSABSTRACT: Large Iberian rivers are the major focus areas for waterbirds. Its importance is particularly strong in dry climate cycles, when the majority of semi-natural wetlands remain dry or have low water levels. The importance of these methods varies, however, regarding the characteristics of the river landscape, particularly with respect to water quality, hydraulic performance, natural hydrological regime and channel morphology. This paper discusses the basic features of aquatic bird communities of the river Ebro, Tajo and Jarama, three rivers located in the central part of two major Tertiary sedimentary basins, comparable to its natural potential but affected to varying degrees by different anthropogenic intervention. Is based on the results of waterbirds census conducted during an annual cycle over 64 km of channels.