Modelling potential abandonment and natural restoration of marginal olive groves in Andalusia (south of Spain)

Guzmán-Álvarez, José Ramón; Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael M.

doi:10.1080/17474230802331417

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…At the same time, it could also be seen as a great opportunity to regenerate patches of forest inside agricultural landscapes, so creating islands of biodiversity of enormous interest as green infrastructure that provides ecosystem services to nearby crops (i.e., biological control of pests), wildlife refuges for endemic or local species and ecological corridors (Paredes et al ., 2013). In fact, Guzmán-Álvarez and Navarro (2008) estimated that 75% of marginal olive groves in Andalusia could be afforested solely by natural processes. Our results show that: (i) the abandonment of sloping olive groves would be beneficial from a biological and environmental point of view (unlike other studies which suggested otherwise) and (ii) that in certain landscape contexts it might be advisable to offer farmers financial incentives to encourage them to do so.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the traditional olive grove, like other Mediterranean agroecosystems, is currently undergoing dramatic changes due to intensification, changes in soil management techniques and, in many cases, abandonment. All these processes are being mediated by globalization (Guzmán-Álvarez and Navarro-Cerrillo, 2008; Lozano-García et al ., 2017). These changes are having significant effects on the ecosystem services provided by olive farming and on crop sustainability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of farming system and soil management on floristic diversity in sloping olive groves

Jiménez

Castro-Rodríguez

Reyes

2023

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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The effects of the farming system (conventional-organic-abandoned) and soil management (native cover crop vs tillage) on vascular plant species were analyzed in sloping olive groves (>20%) in 20 different locations in Andalusia, SE Spain. The soil management techniques included Organic Tillage (OT), Organic Cover Crops (OC), Conventional Tillage (CT), Conventional Non-Tillage (CNT), Abandoned Cover Crops (AC) and Abandoned Woody (AW). Data for the vascular plant species were recorded through three line transects of 30 m with a bar perpendicularly touching every 1 m of the measuring tape. Environmental variables were also recorded at plot level to assess their influence. Dependent variables, such as species abundance, richness and diversity indexes were studied using univariate analysis (one-way ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis test) while multivariate statistics (ANOSIM, SIMPER, DCA) were used for analyzing the data matrices. We found that the different combinations of farming system and soil management affect biological diversity in terms of individual abundance, plant cover, species richness and diversity, species and family composition. Life forms and species distribution patterns are also affected. The main environmental variables affecting the plant taxa were those related with soil and climate characteristics, slope, olive age and intensive land uses at landscape level, including the percentage of artificial surfaces. The lowest levels of biodiversity (e.g., species richness) were found in the tilled olive groves (CT = 8.1 sp. ± 2.2, OT = 10.0 sp. ± 5.4). Surprisingly, the organic tilled groves (OT) were very poor in species compared to those with native plant cover (OC = 27.9 sp. ± 3.0). The latter, however, showed similar species richness to the abandoned olive groves (AC = 21.2 sp. ± 3.7, AW = 27.2 sp. ± 3.0). Possible solutions for increasingly uncompetitive sloping olive groves include conversion to organic with native plant cover or abandonment for rewilding.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of farming system and soil management on floristic diversity in sloping olive groves

Jiménez

Castro-Rodríguez

Reyes

2023

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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“…However, many studies show the intrinsic vulnerability of these crops, as they are ecosystems that present multiple threats to their multifunctionality. Although there are economic (i.e., low farm income) and social threats (i.e., rural abandonment), which are particularly relevant in steep slope crops that can be classified as marginal due to their low yield, the most important threats to the viability of these systems are environmental [20,74]. These threats include microbial and entomological pests, which affect agricultural yields [75]; climate change, whose consequences on temperature and rainfall will have multiple impacts on the distribution area of olive groves [42,76]; diffuse pollution, derived from the use of chemical fertilisers [77]; and, particularly, laminar erosion, which is the main threat to olive sustainability, affecting the edaphic dimension of these crops, altering their agricultural production and economic benefits [1,[25][26][27]36,56].…”

Section: Time Projections and Cumulative Production And Benefits To A...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain)

et al. 2021

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Spain has more than 2.5 M ha of olive groves, with 60% of this area (i.e., 1.5 M ha) concentrated in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain). Assuming the socio-ecological characteristics of these crops, of which their contribution to ecosystemic services (ES) is fundamental for society, it is highly relevant to direct their management towards practices that guarantee their durability. Organic management of olive groves constitutes a multifunctional model that contributes to ensuring its sustainability and represents 2.4–3.5% of the olive grove area in Spain. Taking the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Estepa (Southwestern Spain) as a study model, where organic olive groves are novel, a study of the impacts of erosion on the economic, social, and environmental factors associated with this management was carried out in addition to estimating its impacts. The results showed how organic management promotes edaphic fertility, keeping the levels of diffuse pollution under the legislative limits. Although the increase in erosion has negative effects on the sustainability/durability of agricultural holdings, organic management consolidates a sustainable model that satisfies farmers’ demands. Therefore, organic farming is a model that focuses on the correct use of natural resources associated with the geographical region of study, and contributes to increasing the sustainability of olive groves.

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“…Despite the relevance of olive groves in the Mediterranean region, they are currently in a situation of productive and economic vulnerability due to the low income rate of many farms, especially family and marginal ones, a vulnerability that hampers the long-term sustainability of these crops [16]. This vulnerability has been increasing for decades, driven by two factors: (1) the migration of the rural population to urban areas, resulting in a lack of labor and generational renewal, leading to the abandonment of marginal, remote, and least productive rural areas [17]; and (2) the entry into force of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a policy which was first started in 1957, and which although it currently includes resilient agriculture and rural development measures, for many past decades focused on the productive dimension of rural areas, disregarding their environmental one, thus partly driving the collapse of traditional olive farms [18,19]. In order to alleviate the economic vulnerability of Mediterranean olive groves, crops have either been abandoned, due to their low financial profitability, or intensified, to increase their productivity by increasing plant densities, technification, and application of energy, irrigation, and agrochemical inputs (i.e., herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers) [18,20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Fertilization on Environmental Quality across a Gradient of Olive Grove Management Systems in Alentejo (Portugal)

Sousa

Tribaldos-Anda

Prats

et al. 2022

Land

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Olive groves are Mediterranean socioecological systems. In Portugal (350,000 hectares of olive groves), a transition is ongoing towards intensification. Such effects may arise from the incremental use of agrochemical fertilizers. The Alentejo region, Portugal, was stratified according to the olive management systems (i.e., extensive groves managed conventionally, integrated or organically, and intensive and highly intensive farms) and erosive states. Agronomic (i.e., fertilizers) and biological (i.e., herbaceous and lepidopteran richness and biodiversity) variables were quantified in 80 plots so we could know how managements affect biodiversity. Intensive and highly intensive farms showed the highest erosion (up to 48 t ha−1 year−1) and the highest concentration of nitrates (11–16 ppm), phosphates (8–15 ppm), and potassium (169–183 mg kg−1), aligned with its lower flora (null) and fauna (0.50–1.75 species). Conventional extensive farms attained an intermediate position, and integrated and organic managements showed the lowest erosion (up to 20 t ha−1 year−1), and the lowest concentration of nitrates (5–6 ppm), phosphates (2–4 ppm), and potassium (92–125 mg kg−1) aligned with its higher flora (14–27 species) and fauna (up to 8 species). Studies aimed at characterizing the multifunctionality of olive groves are essential in Portugal, also considering how soil practices can minimize externalities driven by rapid changes in crop systems.

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Modelling potential abandonment and natural restoration of marginal olive groves in Andalusia (south of Spain)

Cited by 9 publications

References 23 publications

The effects of farming system and soil management on floristic diversity in sloping olive groves

The effects of farming system and soil management on floristic diversity in sloping olive groves

Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain)

Impacts of Fertilization on Environmental Quality across a Gradient of Olive Grove Management Systems in Alentejo (Portugal)

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