Importancia de los estudios de erosión en la planificación de usos del suelo. Veinte años de estudios en la Comunidad Valenciana

8 páginas, 3 tablas.En este trabajo se resalta la importancia de incorporar la evaluación de la erosión hídrica del suelo en ejercicios de planificación de usos del territorio, a través de los estudios que se han ido llevando a cabo durante más de veinte años en la Comunidad Valenciana. Durante este período, se han desarrollado y aplicado tanto métodos cuantitativos de predicción (fundamentalmente adaptando la USLE a las particulares condiciones ambientales de este ámbito) como procedimientos cualitativos de estimación. Aunque todavía no existe una metodología totalmente satisfactoria para la evaluación del proceso erosivo en el ámbito mediterráneo, la experiencia acumulada muestra que las aproximaciones aplicadas permiten plantear propuestas adecuadas de orientaciones y recomendaciones de usos y de planes de asignación de usos al suelo.Peer reviewe

The relevance and consequences of mediterranean desertification including security aspects

33 páginas, 5 figuras, 4 tablas. Proceedings of the NATO Mediterranean Dialogue Workshop on Desertification in the Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue -- Part I. Introducction: Desertification in the Mediterranen Region: Linking environmental condition to security. Valencia, Spain 2-5 December 2003Desertification is a relatively new term but it is also an old issue in the European Mediterranean zone corroborated by the abundance of historical references highlighting the concern of different cultures on important land degradation processes in the region. The perception of this issue has been changing through time with periods of more environmental sensitivity and awareness alternating with periods of less attention and sensibility. In recent decades, a conceptual evolution has occurred, passing from a vaguely defined but real problem to a progressive assimilation and clarification of the physical and socio-economical processes involved, their factors, causes and also the impacts and consequences. In February 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) came into being. The UNCCD dedicates one of its Annexes to the specific problems of affected countries of the Northern Mediterranean region. The regional Annex for the Mediterranean identifies the particular conditions of the region responsible for the threat of desertification processes. Among others, it specifies the semiarid conditions of the countries of this region (Spain has 63.5% of its territory affected by semiarid climatic conditions, Greece has 62%, Portugal 61.5%, Italy has 40% and France 16%), the seasonal droughts, the very high rainfall variability and sudden and high-intensity rainfall. The main factors and causes of desertification processes acting in Europe operate in different temporal and spatial contexts influencing the course of the natural processes involved in desertification. At the global scale, both natural (mainly atmospheric factors) and socio-economic factors (economical, cultural and political) influence the desertification processes. At the European scale, the factors acting are essentially physiographic, meteorological, economic and cultural aspects, and operate over large areas (e.g. river basins, mountain massifs, coastal zones, etc.). At the local scale, the specific physiography, soil types and uses, cultural traditions and land management are relevant factors influencing the desertification processes. A review is presented on the efforts made to evaluate desertification at the global and European scales. The consequences of Desertification also include security issues. The concept of Buzan (1998) on Societal Security should be expanded to include direct and indirect consequences of desertification which affect security aspects such as water scarcity, agricultural-food production, increase in the impacts of flooding, extension of forest fires, annual and interannual drought effects. Also other security aspects affecting Northern Mediterranean countries should be considered such as border security and problems derived from integration and cultural identity of emigrants.Peer reviewe

Evaluating a soil quality standard for Cd in agricultural Mediterranean soils under a non-accumulator crop

Poster presentado en EUROSOIL 2012 celebrado en Bari (Italia) del 2 al 6 de julio de 2012Peer Reviewe

Valores de toxicidad de Co para un cultivo acumulador en suelos agrícolas mediterráneos representativos

4 páginas, 1 tabla. Comunicación presentada al V Simposio Nacional sobre Control de la Degradación y Uso Sostenible de Suelo. 27-30 Junio 2011. Campus Mare Nostrum. Murcia. - Área temática 2: Causas y procesos de la degradación del suelo.El presente trabajo establece los valores de toxicidad EC50 y EC10 (concentración efectiva que reduce la producción de biomasa en un 50% y en un 10%, respectivamente) de Co para un cultivo acumulador (Lactuca sativa L.) en suelos agrícolas Mediterráneos representativos. Para ello, se llevó a cabo el test 208 de la OECD en tres suelos con diferentes propiedades edáficas de la Comunidad Valenciana, una zona representativa de la Región Mediterránea Europea. Los valores de EC50 y EC10 más bajos se obtuvieron para el suelo con menor contenido en carbonato cálcico y textura con mayor contenido en arena. Por tanto, estas dos propiedades edáficas son relevantes para desarrollar estándares de calidad del suelo que resulten útiles para declarar suelos contaminados por Co.Peer reviewe

Pb toxicity values for a non-accumulator crop in representative agricultural Mediterranean soils

Poster presentado en EUROSOIL 2012 celebrado en Bari (Italia) del 2 al 6 de julio de 2012Peer Reviewe

Propuesta de un conjunto mínimo de indicadores de calidad ambiental para la evaluación y seguimiento de impactos ambientales en relación con los instrumentos de ordenación del territorio en el ámbito mediterráneo

4 páginas, 1 figuras, 1 tabla. Comunicación presentada al V Simposio Nacional sobre Control de la Degradación y Uso Sostenible de Suelo. 27-30 Junio 2011. Campus Mare Nostrum. Murcia. - Área temática 1: Cuantificación de la degradación del sueloEl presente trabajo desarrolla un conjunto mínimo de indicadores para la evaluación de la calidad de los recursos naturales como base para la valoración de impactos ambientales. Además, pretende ser útil para acometer el seguimiento de éstos en el Programa de Vigilancia Ambiental. Específicamente, dicho conjunto se ha diseñado para la evaluación y seguimiento de impactos ambientales de los instrumentos de ordenación del territorio en la Región Mediterránea. Concretamente, mediante la aplicación del Análisis de Componentes principales (ACP), se ha conformado un conjunto de 13 indicadores referidos al suelo, agua, aire y comunidad biótica (fauna y flora), que ha demostrado ser relevante y adecuado para establecer la calidad ambiental a nivel municipal, como base para la evaluación y seguimiento de impactos.Peer reviewe

Indicator systems to assess environmental quality and desertification in the Region of Valencia

Una de las prioridades identificadas por la Convención de Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación es la necesidad de desarrollar indicadores. Su utilización simplifica la información generada por procesos complejos como la desertificación, proporcionando instrumentos apropiados para combatirla. Para caracterizar el grado de afectación de los procesos de desertificación en la Comunidad Valenciana y su influencia en la calidad ambiental se ha aplicado, a escala municipal, un sistema de indicadores considerando tres funciones que cumple el medio: Naturalidad, Fuente de Recursos y Soporte de las Actividades Antrópicas. Los indicadores se han organizado de acuerdo al Esquema Presión-Estado-Respuesta (PRS) para facilitar el análisis de las interrelaciones entre la presión ejercida por las actividades humanas sobre los recursos naturales, los consecuentes cambios en la calidad ambiental de éstos y las respuestas de la sociedad a tales cambios. Los resultados muestran que el 61% de la Comunidad Valenciana presenta una Calidad Ambiental Moderada-Alta o Alta; la Moderada-Baja o Baja supone un 33% de la superficie autonómica, mientras la Muy Alta está representada en cerca del 6% del territorio. La provincia de Valencia presenta los mejores resultados de Calidad Ambiental, mientras Alicante es la provincia con resultados menos favorables. A nivel municipal, 13 municipios tienen Muy Alta Calidad Ambiental, 69 Alta, 187 Moderada-Alta, 204 Moderada-Baja, 53 Baja y 16 Muy Baja.The necessity of elaborating indicators is one of the priorities identified by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The use of indicators can simplify complex processes and provide appropriate tools for combating desertification. A set of indicators for assessing desertification and its influence on environmental quality in the Valencia Region has been applied, on a municipal scale, considering three functions: Naturalness, Source of Resources and Support of the Human Activities. Indicators have been organized according to a Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. The PSR framework takes into account the linkages between the pressures exerted on the environment by human activities, the changes in quality of the environmental components and the societal responses to these changes. Results show that about 60 % of the territory presents Moderate-High or High Environmental Quality, 33 % Moderate Low or Low and 6% Very High. The province of Valencia presents the best results in terms of Environmental Quality, while Alicante is the province with less favourable results. On a local scale, 13 municipalities have Vey High Environmental Quality, 69 High, 187 Moderate-High, 204 Moderate-Low, 53 Low and 16 Very Low.Este trabajo se ha realizado en el marco del proyecto «Estudios sobre la desertificación en la Comunidad Valenciana», financiado por la Conselleria de Territorio y Vivienda (Generalitat Valenciana)

Increasing the knowledge on the transference of Zn to an accumulator crop (Lactuca sativa L.) in representative Mediterranean soils

Poster presentado en EUROSOIL 2012 celebrado en Bari (Italia) del 2 al 6 de julio de 2012Peer Reviewe

Harmonization of risk assessment methods of soil erosion by water in the European Union

15 páginas, 3 figuras.In order to effectively formulate mitigation strategies and implement conservation measurements to counteract soil erosion, it is essential to objectively identify and quantify areas at risk. With the adoption of the European Union (EU) Thematic Strategy for soil protection, a first step is made towards adequate measures to combat soil erosion and other soil degradation processes. However, to provide an effective tool at European level, risk assessment methodologies should be harmonized (i.e. similar although adapted to local circumstances), providing criteria and standardized definitions of risk areas within the EU. This chapter provides an overview, evaluation and assessment of risk assessment methods of water erosion currently existing and applied within the EU, in the framework of the EU-funded RAMSOIL project (www.ramsoi1.eu). Only methods with an official status andlor those that are widely scientifically acknowledged were considered and included in this review. Information on RAMs for soil erosion was identified through both questionnaires and scientific literature review. Questionnaires were sent to scientists and policy makers in EU Member States and Nonvay. The methods were compared, based on five indicators such as scale, transparency, complexity, cost efficiency and ambiguousness, after which a final statement is made about their soundness, flexibility and acceptability, reflecting the potentials for harmonization.This study was carried out under the EU-funded RAMSOIL (Risk Assessment Methodologies for Soil Threats) Project (Contract 44240). More information is available at www.ramsoi1.eu.Peer reviewe

Increasing the Knowledge on the Management of Cu-Contaminated Agricultural Soils by Cropping Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.)

This paper increases the knowledge on the potential use of Cu-contaminated agricultural soils with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The effect of Cu and its interaction with soil properties on plant biomass production and on the accumulation of this metal in plant tissues were evaluated by conducting biomass assays in four representative Mediterranean agricultural soils contaminated by Cu. Copper toxicity on plant biomass production, evaluated through the effective concentrations of Cu added to soil that reduce the biomass production by 50% (EC50) and by 10% (EC10), was higher in soils having less soil organic matter and clay content and even in soils with favourable properties but having salinity. For the cases in which tomato was collected, Cu concentrations in them were similar for all soils and doses and never exceed the maximum Cu concentration allowed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission Regulation (10mgCukg-1 in fresh weight basis). According to our results, tomato could be cropped in Cu-contaminated Mediterranean agricultural soils when concentrations of Cu determined in them rely between their respective EC50 and EC10, because production and quality of fruits, the latter understood as the Cu concentration in them, would not be compromised. For the soils assayed, these values would range between 32·9 and 1696·5mgkg-1, depending on soil properties. Because the baseline value considered is similar to those established in other parts of the European Mediterranean region, these results can be used as guidance for this region to establish adequate phytoremediation strategies and prevent land degradation processes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.The authors thank the Spanish Ministry of Innovation and Science for funding the research project CGL-2006-07250/BTE, the Universitat de València for the research project UV-INV-AE112-66228 and the Regional Valencian Government for granting one of the authors (ACIF/2010/041).Peer Reviewe