Journal
CATENA
Volume 132, Issue -, Pages 45-55Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2015.04.010
Keywords
Land use change; Agricultural areas; Soil erosion; Desertification; Sustainable land management; Crete
Funding
- EC-DG RID, 7th Framework Research Programme [ENV-2009-2.1.3.2]
- Research on Desertification Process and Land Degradation, project LEDDRA [243857]
- European Commission
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Land degradation is a complex process resulting from the permanent interaction between physical and human factors. The effect of changes in land-use and land management on soil erosion and desertification risk has been studied in Messara Valley (Crete, Greece) over the last six decades (1950-2010). Vegetation cover and land-use have been analyzed using representative aerial photographs and ortho-photomaps for representative dates. Soil attributes have been described in a semi-detailed survey in 2010. Soil erosion rates and desertification risk have been assessed for each period using the PESERA and TERON models and the MEDALUS methodology, respectively. Based on distinct socio-ecological characteristics of the area three major time intervals have been identified. Cereals extensively cultivated during the first time interval were progressively replaced by olive plantations and vineyards in the following periods. Soil erosion due to water runoff was important especially in the olive transition period, declining in the olive subsidy period. However, tillage erosion became an important degradation process especially in the olive subsidy period due to mechanization of the agriculture determining soil losses ranging from 0.5 to 30 cm in sloping areas. Desertification risk due to soil erosion and land characteristics has significantly increased during the olive subsidy period. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available