Evaluación de la capacidad de uso forestal y agrícola en el Campo de Gibraltar (España). Aplicación de un sistema experto (MicroLEIS 4.1)

The assessment of agricultural soil and forestry suitability of Campo de Gibraltar area (Cadiz) is carried out in this papero Two of the models included in the MicroLEIS system for agro-ecologicalland evaluation (De la Rosa et al., 1996) have been used. The ALMAGRA model has been applied to farrnlands and agricultural soils for twelve different crops, while the SIERRA model has been applied to protected forest areas of Los Alcornocales Natural Park, located in the area of Campo de Gibraltar. The map of geomorphoedaphic units and the data base by Paneque et al. (1998) have been used as input data. The results were integrated in a geographical information system, using the software ARC VIEW GIS (ESRI, 1992-1996) and ARCIINFO (ESRI, 1982-1997).En el presente trabajo se ha realizado la evaluación de la aptitud relativa agrícola y forestal de la comarca del Campo de Gibraltar (Cádiz). Para ello se ha utilizado el modelo ALMAGRA y el modelo SIERRA, ambos incluidos en el sistema MicroLEIS de evaluación agroecológica de tierras (De la Rosa et al., 1996). El modelo ALMAGRA ha sido empleado en las zonas de uso agrícola para doce tipos de uso, mientras que el modelo SIERRA ha sido aplicado a los terrenos protegidos del Parque Natural Los Alcornocales, situados en el área del Campo de Gibraltar. Como fuente de datos edáficos y geomorfológicos se ha utilizado el mapa y la base de datos de unidades geomorfoedáficas elaborada por Paneque el al. (1997). Los resultados obtenidos fueron integrados en un sistema de información geográfica y procesados mediante el software ARC VIEW GIS (ESRI, 1992-1996) y ARC/INFO (1982-1997). [EN]: The assessment of agricultural soil and forestry suitability of Campo de Gibraltar area (Cadiz) is carried out in this paper. Two of the models included in the MicroLEIS system for agro-ecological land evaluation (De la Rosa et al., 1996) have been used. The ALMAGRA model has been applied to farmlands and agricultural soils for twelve different crops, while the SIERRA model has been applied to protected forest areas of Los Alcornocales Natural Park, located in the area of Campo de Gibraltar. The map of geomorphoedaphic units and the data base by Paneque et al. (1998) have been used as input data. The results were integrated in a geographical information system, using the software ARC VIEW GIS (ESRI, 1992-1996) and ARC/INFO (ESRI, 1982-1997)

Cartografía semicuantitativa del riesgo de erosión hídrica en la cuenca del Río Hozgarganta (sur de España)

Erosion mapping is essential for the knowledge of the distribution and geography of erosive processes as well as for its quantitative characterization. The methodology used in this paper is a basis for identifying areas with high erosion risk. It also makes possible to study the impact of future changes in environmental conditions.In this paper, the general qualitative scheme proposed by PAP/RAC (1997) is applied, modified by adding the evaluation of rainfall erosivity. Possible future changes in land cover have been considered, analysing three different situations. The results show that a great part of the studied area presents a high erosion risk due to the relief. However, the protection by vegetation is high enough to protect soil from rainfall erosion. Wrong decisions in forest management might lead to increasing potential erosion problems in the area.El estudio del riesgo de la erosión es esencial para el conocimiento de la distribución geográfica de los fenómenos erosivos y para su caracterización cuantitativa. La metodología usada constituye una base para identificar las áreas en riesgo de erosión. También hace posible estudiar el impacto de futuros cambios en las condiciones ambientales. En este trabajo, se aplica el esquema cualitativo general propuesto por PAP/RAC (1997), modificado incluyendo la evaluación de la erosividad de la lluvia, dando por resultado una evaluación semicuantitativa del riesgo de erosión. Se han considerado también posibles cambios de cobertura vegetal analizando tres situaciones distintas. Los resultados demuestran que gran parte del área estudiada presenta una alta erosionabilidad, debido al relieve. Sin embargo, la cobertura vegetal permite proteger el suelo contra la erosión de la lluvia. En este caso, la toma de decisiones incorrectas en la gestión del bosque puede favorecer la aparición de procesos erosivos potenciale

Modelización del hábitat potencial de formaciones forestales en la provincia de Huelva

Three methods for modelling the potential distribution of forest formations in protected areas in southern Spain are discussed in this paper: logistic multiple regression, artificial neural net and decision tree. For every model, the potential habitat of every forest type has been designed using environmental information (soil, lithology, geomorphology and climate). The results were compared with the current area corresponding to every forest type, to determine the relative accuracy of every method. The multiple logistic regression seems to offer the best results.En este trabajo se discuten tres métodos de modelización de la distribución potencial de formaciones forestales utilizando datos medioambientales de áreas protegidas del sur de España: regresión logística múltiple, red neuronal artificial y árbol de decisión. Para cada modelo, el hábitat potencial de cada tipo de vegetación forestal se ha diseñado utilizando información medioambiental (suelo, litología, geomorfología y clima). Los resultados obtenidos se compararon con el área actual de cada tipo de formación forestal, para determinar la precisión relativa de cada uno de los métodos. La regresión logística múltiple es el método que ha ofrecido mejores resultados.Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Junta de Andalucía

Clasificación automática de elementos geomorfológicos en la cuenca del rio Tepalcatepec (México) a partir de un modelo digital de elevaciones

El objetivo principal de este trabajo de investigación es la realización de un análisis detallado del medio físico de la cuenca del Río Tepalcatepec (estados de Jalisco y Michoacán, México). La superficie total de la cuenca abarca aproximadamente 17000 Km2. Se ha utilizado un método jerárquico de clasificación basado en los trabajos de Dikau et al. (1991). Los resultados obtenidos han dividido la cuenca del Río Tepalcatepec en cinco clases de geoformas principales. A su vez, cada clase ha sido dividida en subclases, de modo que se han distinguido 17 unidades de terreno. Los resultados muestran que el método utilizado permite identificar con fiabilidad las principales formaciones del terreno, y con mucho mayor detalle, un número elevado de subclase

Impacto de la corrupción en el crecimiento económico de América Latina. Análisis a través de una revisión de la literatura.

El presente trabajo de fin de grado tiene como objeto analizar el efecto que tiene la corrupción en el crecimiento económico de países latinoamericanos. Para esto, se ha llevado a cabo una revisión bibliográfica de investigaciones previamente realizadas sobre este fenómeno. Se han examinado las principales revistas económicas y clasificado los estudios más relevantes en el campo de estudio. Entre los principales hallazgos, se ha encontrado que, a pesar de ciertas excepciones, existe un consenso general sobre la corrupción. Los diversos autores concluyen que es negativa para el crecimiento económico, ya que los resultados afirman que se cumple la hipótesis "sand the wheels".<br /

CONSOLE Project - Deliverable 5.1 - "Guidelines for Community of Practice (CoP) management at local level"

The Community of Practice (CoP) is foreseen to play a key role in boosting innovation in the effective and long-lasting delivery of agri-environmental-climate public goods (AECPGs). The CONSOLE CoP will be organized around practitioners experienced in the provision of AECPGs and those interested in it and will be nourished throughout the project lifetime. In line with the definition of Wenger1 the CoP is defined as a group of people (the community) who share a common interest and who learn how to perform better through regular interaction and exchange of experiences. The idea is to set up a pan-European CoP with national and/or local (regional) sub-groups managed by the CONSOLE partners with the aim of developing improved and novel contract solutions in collaboration with its members. This document sets out: (a) the purpose and objectives of the CoP in CONSOLE, (b) the setting up and management of the CoP at European, national and local level, (c) the process for motivating individuals to participate. The CONSOLE CoP is intended to facilitate knowledge exchange and mutual learning, mainly through virtual contacts. Participation in the CoP is based on sharing and reciprocity principle. A core objective of these guidelines is to ensure a sound management and facilitation of the CoP by all CONSOLE partners in view of optimizing the input from CoP members in the project activities. Members within a national or local CONSOLE CoP are: 1) CONSOLE partners; 2) practitioners, mainly farmers and foresters, who test and implement practically the contractual models, and 3) experts, that may have punctual interventions in the CoP. A vibrant CoP with active involvement of its members is crucial for the assessment and testing of improved and novel voluntary measures for the delivery of AECPGs. For each of the CONSOLE countries one national contact person is nominated to take over the role as national focal point for the CoP activities in his country and to serve as facilitator of the CoP. These facilitators are responsible to ensure participation along the various project tasks foreseen within several WPs and to overcome potential language barriers. The national contact person may be supported by other CONSOLE partners from his country for local activities. At local level the CoP benefits from existing contacts of CONSOLE partners to practitioners, including the experts interviewed for the case studies analysis within WP2. The forming/development of a CoP requires promoting exchanges taking on board the interests and needs of the actors involved and to animate them to share their expertise. Collaborative learning within the CoP supported by dedicated training activities will be crucial to ensure the intended major transition towards smarter AECPGs-related practices in Europe. These guidelines focus on the identification of the various tasks where CoP participation is foreseen at local (regional) level and to provide support for the identification of potential members. In the deliverable D5.2 “Guidelines for testing the solutions catalogue by CoP and partners” further details about the involvement of the CoP will be provided

Estudio del riesgo de erosión potencial en la cuenca alta del Río Hozgarganta

En el presente trabajo se analiza el riesgo de erosión potencial del suelo en la cuenca alta del río Hozgarganta. Para ello se ha utilizado el método propuesto por PAP/RAC (1997) y modificado posteriormente por Jordán y Martínez-Zavala (Jordán, 2000; Martínez-Zavala, 2001; Martínez-Zavala et al., 2002). Mediante este sistema se ha dividido el área de estudio en unidades de territorio con diferente grado de susceptibilidad a la erosión hídrica (estado erosivo). Se ha evaluado el riesgo de erosión actual y el riesgo de erosión potencial, planteando tres escenarios posibles de cobertura de la vegetación. De esta forma, se puede concluir que el riesgo de pérdida de suelo en la cuenca del Hozgarganta es bajo. Sin embargo, el sistema se halla en un equilibrio inestable, ya que pequeños cambios en la cobertura de la vegetación pueden originar grandes cambios en la intensidad de los procesos erosivos.Potential soil erosion risk in the high basin of Hozgarganta river is analyzed in this paper. We have used the methodology proposed by PAP/RAC (1997), as modified Jordán and Martínez-Zavala (Jordán, 2000; Martínez-Zavala, 2001; MartínezZavala et al., 2002). Using this method, the study area has been divided in terrain units with different level of susceptibility to rainfall-induced erosion risk (erosive status). An assesment of actual and potential erosion risk is carried out, suposing three posible situations, acording to different percentages of canopy. As a conclusion, the actual soil erosion risk is low for the Hozgarganta Basin. However, the equilibrium of the system is unstable, so that little changes in the vegetation cover may originate great changes in the intensity of the erosive processe

Asbestosis: un riesgo no siempre visible que amenaza a los trabajadores de la construcción.

If we propose a new approach to organisations synthesised in the "Management of Happiness" that seeks human talent so that companies can improve their competitiveness, productivity and profitability, we cannot leave aside one of the great threats that looms over workers and that affects happiness at work and, in short, organisational management, such as the issue addressed in this communication, which is the great threat posed by the indiscriminate use of asbestos in our societies. Asbestos is a carcinogenic element recognised as such by the International Office of Cancer and although it is banned in many countries such as the European Union, there are many others where it is still used such as China or Russia and despite this ban, its massive use since the Second World War has meant that the trace of materials with asbestos is extensive and present in many buildings forming part of pipes, water tanks, roof coverings, etc., which constitutes a major problem of environmental pollution and public health which can be affected especially workers in the construction sector. Therefore, the aim of this work was to see from a practical point of view the difficulty of managing the prevention of occupational risks due to asbestosis in the workers of Micro-SMEs and Self-Employed Workers in the Construction Sector. The study was carried out using the Expert Panel technique with a total of 10 professionals with extensive experience in the Construction Sector and Occupational Risk Prevention.The experts concluded that the greatest difficulty in carrying out an adequate Asbestosis Prevention Management of the group studied was the hidden asbestos as there is no census of affected buildings and constructions and the lack of awareness in a disease with a latency period of between 35-40 years where the cause-effect relationship is not so evidentUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Propuesta de un modelo de distribución de especies forestales en el Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y el Andévalo occidental (Huelva, España)

Actually, the management of the forest spaces goes towards the production and the maintenance of the ecological values controlling the space structure of the forest and its natural dynamics. The design and maintenance of the structure of the landscape would have to be the primary target of the management of the natural forests. Under this perspective, the goal of the present work is to propose a potential model of distribution of forest uses in natural spaces of the north of Huelva province (Natural Park “Sierra de Aracen y Picos de Aroche” and western Andévalo). In the area there were differentiated four main forest types: oak forest, pine tree forest, eucalyptus forest and other deciduous forest. As previous analysis there were compared three evaluation models: logistic regression, decision tree and artificial neuronal network. The prediction has been done relating the presence/absence of each current forest type in the study zone to edaphic, climatic and geomorfological variables that, at first, could condition the distribution of the species. The logistic resulted to be the method with a smaller index of error, offering better results than other evaluated methods. Then, the results were extrapolated to the whole study area to obtain a model of potential distribution habitat of each forest type studied. The potential area of oak forest increases 10% to its present distribution. The potential habitat of the oak forest appear at high elevation and slope, generally on Leptosols, Regosols and Cambisols, of neutral to acid pH. They are adapted at high levels of organic matter, rich in oligoelements (mainly Fe). The probability of presence of oak forest also depends on a elevated summer precipitation and minimum average monthly temperature higher than other cases. The area occupied by the potential pine tree forest, occupies an approximated extension of 70% of the present area. This fact probably must be due existence of other forest formation with a greater aptitude in the zone. The potential habitat appear high elevation, mountainous relief, zones influenced by the curvature and the direction. The potential distribution of deciduous forest occupy an area of 1300 km2 approximately, in front of a present area of 43 km2. This could indicate that these species are barely represented concerning their potential aptitude. The potential habitat is distributed at zones characterized by nonconsolidated substrates, excluding zones with risk of mass sliding and fort erosion. It occupy acid or neutral soils preferredly, with low saturation of the exchange complex and gross texture. The total surface occupied by eucalyptus forest occupies an approximated extension of 400 km2, opposed to 660 of the current presence. The current area of the present distribution of eucalyptus forest has become in damage of other native species that present a greater aptitude. In the final proposal of uses, the oak forest displace the eucalyptus forest of their present habitat. It happens in the mountain zones, for example.Actualmente, la gestión de los espacios forestales se dirige preferentemente hacia la producción y el mantenimiento de los valores ecológicos controlando la estructura espacial del bosque y su dinámica natural. El diseño y mantenimiento de la estructura del paisaje debería ser el objetivo principal de la gestión de los bosques naturales. Bajo esta perspectiva, el ojetivo del presente trabajo es proponer un modelo de distribución potencial de usos forestales en espacios naturales del norte de la provincia de Huelva (Parque Natural Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche y el Andévalo occidental). En el área se han diferenciado cuatro formaciones forestales principales: quercíneas, coníferas, eucaliptos y otras frondosas. Como análisis previo se compararon tres modelos de evaluación: regresión logística, árbol de decisión y red neuronal artificial. En ellos, la predicción se ha hecho relacionando la presencia/ausencia de cada formación forestal presente en la zona de estudio con variables edáficas, climáticas y geomorfológicas que, a priori, pudieran condicionar la distribución de las especies. La regresión logística resultó ser el método con un menor índice de error, ofreciendo mejores resultados que otros métodos evaluados. Posteriormente, los resultados se extrapolaron a la totalidad del área de estudio para obtener un modelo de hábitat potencial de las formaciones forestales estudiadas. La superficie potencial de las formaciones de quercíneas es superior en un 10% a su distribución actual. El hábitat potencial de las quercíneas se distribuye por los general en las zonas de mayor elevación y pendiente, generalmente sobre Leptosoles, Regosoles y Cambisoles, de pH neutro a ácido. Se adaptan mejor a eleveados niveles de materia orgánica, ricos en oligoelementos (principalmente Fe). La probabilidad de presencia de quercíneas depende también de una precipitación estival y temperatura media mínima mensual más elevadas que otros casos. La superficie ocupada por las formaciones potenciales de coníferas, ocupa una extensión aproximada del 70% del área actual. Este hecho se debe probablemente a la existencia de otras formaciones forestales con una mayor aptitud en la zona. El hábitat potencial se distribuye por zonas de alta elevación, relieve montañoso, zonas influenciadas por la curvatura y la orientación. La distribución potencial de las formaciones forestales de frondosas viene a ocupar un área de aproximadamente 1300 km2, frente a una superficie actual de 43. Esto puede indicar que estas especies están escasamente representada en la zona frente a su aptitud potencial. El hábitat potencial se distribuye en zonas caracterizadas por sustratos no consolidados, excluyendo zonas con riesgo de deslizamiento en masa y fuerte erosión. Ocupan preferentemente suelos ácidos o neutros, con baja saturación del complejo de cambio y de textura más gruesa. La superficie total ocupada por las formaciones potenciales de eucaliptos ocupa una extensión aproximada de 400 km2, frente a 660 en la actualidad. El área de distribución actual del eucalipto se ha hecho en detrimento de otras especies autóctonas que presentan una mayor aptitud. En la propuesta final de usos, las quercíneas desplazan a las formaciones de eucaliptos de su hábitat actual. Así ocurre en las zonas de sierra, por ejemplo

Climate change impact on bioclimatic deficiency, using microLEIS DSS in Ahar soils, Iran

Regional impact studies of the future climate change effects are necessary because projected changes in meteorological variables differ from one region to another, and different climate systems can react in varied ways to the same changes. In this study, the effects of climate change on bioclimatic deficiency were compared in two cultivation methods (irrigated and rainfed) in a semi-arid region, Ahar (East Azarbaijan, IRAN). The agricultural land uses selected for evaluation were wheat (Triticum aestivum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and maize (Zea mays). In this way, Terraza model included in the land evaluation decision support system, called MicroLEIS DSS, was used. Terraza gives a quantitative prediction of a site bioclimatic deficiency. Soil morphological and analytical data were obtained from 44 sampling points based on a grid survey. Agro-climatic data, referred to temperature and precipitation, were collected from weather stations located in Ahar region, which benefits from more than 20 consecutive years of weather data. A future scenario of climate change was calculated according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on regions of Asia under scenario A1FI (highest future emission) for 2080s. Although, increasing of precipitation being available by climate change in the future scenario, humidity index will be reduced because of high temperature. The results showed that climate change is likely to cause severe water stress in irrigated cultivation of alfalfa, sugar beet, potato, and maize, the use of irrigation methods being essential to maintain agricultural productivity. Although irrigation is indicated as very important in this regime of semi-arid agriculture, cultivation of rainfed wheat can be possible instead of the irrigated one. Also, it is revealed that climate perturbation effects on rainfed conditions are more serious than those on the irrigated conditions in the area.The authors wish to thank Tabriz University for funding this research work, a dissertation of Ph. D. program undertaken by Farzin Shahbazi. They also thank Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), Sevilla, Spain for their sincere cooperation during the candidate’ s sabbatical studies.Peer Reviewe