Impact of Land Use Change and Afforestation on Soil Properties in a Mediterranean Mountain Area of Central Spain

Abstract

Afforestation can improve hydrological processes, such as infiltration, in basins and, therefore, reduce the impact on human populations of floods, soil erosion, landslides, droughts, and climate variation. The aim of this work was to analyze how afforestation and other changes in land use influence infiltrability and the evolution of soils. Infiltration rates, soil water repellency, and physical and chemical properties of sandy loam soils were measured in four types of land: native holm oak forest, afforested 20-year-old pine forest, shrubs, and grasslands. Non-forest covers are the result of the degradation of native oak forests for centuries, while the pine afforestation in this study took place on a perennial wet mountain pasture (cervunalito). Our results show that soil infiltration rates are much higher in pine afforestation areas (857.67 mm·h−1) than in holm oak forest (660.67 mm·h−1), grasslands (280.00 mm·h−1), or shrubs (271.67 mm·h−1). No statistically significant differences in fertility, organic matter content, bulk density, or effective porosity were found between afforestation areas and other types of cover; however, pine afforestation improved the drainage of the soil, as its infiltration rate was higher than that of the native holm oak forest.

Effects of Erosion Control Works: Case Study–Reservoir Celije, Rasina River Basin, the Zapadna Morava River (Serbia)

“…Forest restoration significantly improved water infiltration capacity in the soil. Results confirm that forest restoration plays an important role in the ecosystem services that regulate the hydrological conditions of the basins, as well as in the properties of the soil [73]. Afforestation of less-productive agricultural land provides many benefits, including soil erosion control, water retention, carbon sequestration and increased biodiversity [74].…”

Soil moisture and temperature dynamics in juvenile and mature forest as a result of tree growth, hydrometeorological forcings, and drought

“…In particular, the juvenile plantation, which was only 6 years old at the time of the drought reported in this study, is characterized by an open canopy (Figure 2) and possibly low levels of organic matter in the soil. In fact, afforestation efforts often take several decades to improve various soil properties (Korkanç, 2014; Mongil–Manso et al, 2022; Yao et al, 2023). As a result, the variation in soil moisture observed within the juvenile plantation is most likely caused by the increased physiological water demand of the trees after the drought, as well as differences in forest structure compared to the mature forest.…”

Changes in Organic Carbon Stock in Soil and Whole Tree Biomass in Afforested Areas in Latvia

“…However, this study observed a significant and persistent influence from the previous land use [ 5 ]. In a study carried out in Spain, infiltration rates were significantly higher in the recently afforested pine area as compared to the land without trees (shrubs and grasslands), and marginally higher than the infiltration rate in the broadleaf holm oak ( Quercus ilex ) area [ 38 ]. A study carried out in Finland, which also included Gleysols and Podzols, showed that soil properties of afforested areas considerably differ from natural forests on mineral soils [ 39 ].…”