Effects of land‐use changes in vegetation cover and sidewall erosion in a gully head of the Penedès region (northeast Spain)

Abstract

The present research addresses the effects of land-use changes in the evolution of vegetation cover on gully erosion in the Penedès region of northeast Spain. The contribution of vegetation cover to gully wall stabilization is also discussed. The catchment area of the gully is 60⋅2 ha and is mainly composed of vineyards. In this area, large gullies have developed on Tertiary marls and unconsolidated sandstones. Detailed aerial photographs (1 : 5000 and 1 : 7000 scale) of three dates (1975, 1995 and 2002) were ortho-rectifi ed to derive land-use information in the catchment, gully vegetation cover and height information to construct detailed digital elevation models. Land-use and gully vegetation cover mapping of the most recent period was assisted by means of fi eldwork and a photo-interpretation key constructed to help map the older dates. Soil loss in the catchment was estimated for the 1975 and 2002 scenarios to determine the relations between land-use changes to vegetation cover changes and gully sidewall erosion. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was applied for that purpose. Sidewall mass movements were determined by subtraction of digital elevation models (1 m resolution) of each period. The results show important land-use changes in the catchment due to fi eld reorganization for the plantation of mechanized vineyards. It increased soil loss from agricultural fi elds by 26⋅5%, which infl uenced vegetation cover dynamics on gully walls, with an important development of scrubland to forest, and gully erosion, with sidewall retreat at rates of 0⋅025 to 0⋅50 ha y −1 and mass movements at rates of 16 to 63⋅2 Mg ha −1 y −1 . These results indicate that vegetation cover on gully walls, although suggesting an improvement with respect to wall protection against splash, sheet and rill erosion, did not affect sidewall retreat and mass movements.

Soil Erosion Processes in European Vineyards: A Qualitative Comparison of Rainfall Simulation Measurements in Germany, Spain and France

“…Several authors evidenced the importance of vineyard degradation during the last few decades, induced by applying chemical weeding, seasonal intensive tillage, green pruning and the use of heavy machinery [5][6][7][8][9]. All these activities notably affect one of the most important components of the terroir: the soil.…”

Variación espacio-temporal de los procesos hidrológicos del suelo en viñedos con elevadas pendientes (Valle del Ruwer-Mosela, Alemania)

“…Actualmente, numerosos autores evidencian en sus estudios la importancia de los procesos de degradación que han sucedido en estas áreas durante décadas, inducidas por la implementación en los usos tradicionales del suelo de maquinaria pesada (tractores, cosechadoras...), de nuevos productos químicos (fertilizantes, herbicidas...) y por la intensificación de la producción (Arnáez et al, 2007;Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2009;Bruggisser et al, 2010;López-Piñeiro et al, 2013;Salome et al, 2014;Likar et al, 2015). Todas estas actividades están afectando notablemente a uno de los componentes más importantes de los viñedos: el suelo.…”

An overview of the recent approaches to terroir functional modelling, footprinting and zoning

“…Mediterranean viticultural areas are amongst those most exposed and aware of the sustainability issue because of the soil losses due to intense erosional processes (e.g. Le Bissonnais et al, 2007;Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2009Novara et al, 2011), which may lead to the destruction of a vineyard field (Fig. 6).…”

“…Depletion of soil fertility in general, along with the concomitant problems of weeds, pests and diseases, is the fundamental root cause of low agricultural production on a global level (Tan et al, 2005). Even if grapevines are not demanding with regard to nutrients, they nevertheless require an adequate supply, which may no longer exist in terroirs where the soils are undergoing degradation processes, especially soil losses (Le Bissonnais et al, 2007;Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2009Paroissien et al, 2010;Novara et al, 2011;Quiquerez et al, 2014;Chevigny et al, 2014;Lieskovsky and Kenderessy, 2014), nutrient depletion (Ramos and Martínez-Casanovas, 2006), compaction (Lagacherie et al, 2006), salinization and sodization (Clark et al, 2002;Crescimanno and Garofalo, 2006; al., 2007; Costantini and Lorenzetti, 2013), pesticide runoff and deposition (Landry et al, 2005;Louchart and Voltz, 2007;Lacas et al, 2012;Daouk et al, 2013;Lefrancq et al, 2013) and copper contamination (Pieztrak and McPhail, 2004;Chopin et al, 2008;Komárek et al, 2008;Wightwick et al, 2008;Mirlean et al, 2007Mirlean et al, , 2009Rusjan et al, 2007;El Hadri et al, 2012;Fernández-Calviño et al, 2013;El Azzi et al, 2013;Lai et al, 2013). In Burgundy, using vine-stock unearthing-burying measurements (Brenot et al, 2008), Chevigny et al (2014) estimated that the erosion rate had increased significantly over the last decade and also that the spatial distribution of erosion had changed and was now basically controlled by ...…”