Spatial and temporal variability of water table dynamics in an afforested catchment of the Central Spanish Pyrenees

Human-induced afforestation has been one of the main policies for environmental management of farmland abandonment in Mediterranean areas. Over the last decades, several studies have reviewed the impact of afforestation activities on geomorphological and hydrological responses and soil properties, although few studies have evaluated the effects on water table dynamics. In parallel to human-induced afforestation activities, natural revegetation occurred in abandoned fields and in fields where the intensity of human activity declined, driving the expansion of shrubs. This research addresses the spatial and temporal variability of water table dynamics in a small afforested sub-catchment located in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Differences between afforestation (Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris) and natural plant colonization (shrubs, mainly Genista scorpius, Buxus sempervirens, and Juniperus communis) and early abandoned meadows (G. scorpius), are analysed in terms of runoff generation and seasonal water table depth dynamics. Precipitation, runoff and water table datasets recorded for the 2014–2019 period are used. Results show a high temporal and spatial variability with large fluctuations in discharge and water table. Groundwater dynamics varied markedly over the year, identifying a wet and dry period with different responses suggesting different runoff generation processes (Hortonian flow during dry and wet periods, and saturation excess runoff during wet conditions). Furthermore, important differences are noted among the various land cover types: (i) in the natural revegetation area (shrubland and meadows) a marked seasonal cycle was observed with short saturation periods during winter and spring; and (ii) in the afforestation areas, the water table dynamics showed a seasonal cycle with a high variability, with fast responses and rapid oscillations. Likewise, the relationship between the depth of water table and hydrological variables was not straightforward, suggesting complex hydrological behaviour.     

Forest Transitions in Mexico: Institutions and Forests in a Globalized Countryside*

Forest‐transition theory suggests that economic development eventually leads to forest recovery, but there is great uncertainty about the existence, the characteristics, and the mechanisms of forest transitions that might be occurring under current socioeconomic conditions. A case study in a small region of highland Mexico finds agricultural abandonment and forest regeneration, but also forest degradation due to woodcutting. A discussion locates those findings in the international political economy of agriculture and emigration in Mexico, which are substantially different from the conditions associated with forest recovery in developed countries. Although regional forest transitions are possible in marginal agricultural areas such as that studied here, their environmental implications depend on the evolution of social institutions coordinating rural people's environmental actions.     

Erosion and terrace failure due to agricultural land abandonment in a semi‐arid environment

Agricultural land abandonment is currently widely spread in Mediterranean countries and a further increase is expected. Previous research has shown that abandoned fields in semi‐arid areas are more vulnerable to gully erosion. The absence of ploughing and slow vegetation recovery cause the formation of soil crusts with low infiltration rates, resulting in increased runoff and gully erosion risk. The objective of our study was to assess the extent and causes of erosion and terrace failure on abandoned fields and to discuss options for mitigation. The study was carried out in the Carcavo basin, a semi‐arid catchment in southeast Spain. At catchment scale all abandoned fields were surveyed and characteristics of each field were described. Additionally we surveyed abandoned and cultivated terraces and used statistical analyses to determine the factors that induce terrace failure. At field scale we constructed a detailed digital elevation model (DEM) for an abandoned terrace field in order to calculate sediment losses since time of abandonment. The results revealed that more than half the abandoned fields had moderate to severe erosion and the statistical analysis showed that these fields had significantly steeper slopes, were terraced and had cereals as previous land use. Factors that increase the risk of terrace failure were land abandonment, steeper terrace slope, loam texture, valley‐bottom position and shrubs on the terrace wall. The reconstructed erosion rate (87 ton ha^?1 year^?1) confirmed the importance of gully erosion on these abandoned terrace fields. Potential soil and water conservation practices to mitigate soil erosion after abandonment are: (1) maintenance of terrace walls, as a result more water is retained, which increases vegetation cover and consequently decreases erosion. (2) Revegetation with indigenous grass species on spots with concentrated flow, especially near terrace walls. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Colonization processes in semi-arid Mediterranean old-fields

Semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystems undergo a slow process of secondary succession after disturbance which is dependent on rainfall. We tested the hypothesis that colonization of abandoned lands in semi-arid SE Spain was slowed down by seed dispersal and species-specific responses to climatic variability. In field and glasshouse experiments we analysed germination of the two main colonizer species, their appearance in the field as seedlings, their relationships with climate and the resulting population structure. Seed germination of the two dominant legume species, Anthyllis cytisoides and Retama sphaerocarpa, was enhanced by scarification, but triggered in the field by temperature and rainfall, respectively. There was no evidence of allelopathic effects affecting germination in the field. Population structure reflected high inter-annual variability in shrub establishment, which was related to rainfall in spite of self-thinning and other processes that modeled current shrub numbers. Colonization of abandoned lands in semi-arid, Mediterranean environments in SE Spain seems to be primarily limited by seed dispersal, but also affected by climatic variability, which produced temporally separated recruitment events.     

撂荒耕地的提取与分析——以山东省庆云县和无棣县为例

由于城镇化的快速发展和农村劳动力不断流失,中国部分地区出现大面积的撂荒现象。利用遥感技术可以间接提取撂荒耕地的规模和数量,对耕地的保护和粮食安全有重要意义。以山东省庆云县和无棣县为研究区,基于Landsat数据和HJ1A数据,采用CART决策树分类方法,制作了1990-2017年的土地利用图,制定了撂荒地的识别规则,在此基础之上提取了研究区的撂荒地空间分布、持续撂荒时间分布和撂荒地复垦区域。结果显示：1990-2017年基准期影像的CART决策树分类精度高于85%;1992-2017年间,研究区撂荒地面积最大值为5503.86 hm²,最大撂荒率为5.37%,其中1996-1998年撂荒率最高,2006-2017年撂荒地面积的整体趋势逐年降低;1992-2017年间最大持续撂荒时间为15年,大部分耕地持续撂荒时间在4年之内,少数耕地持续撂荒时间超过10年;1993-2017年撂荒耕地复垦面积最大为2022.3 hm²,最小复垦面积约为20 hm²,复垦率最大值为67.44%,年均复垦率为31.83%。研究结果不仅能够为研究区撂荒驱动因素分析提供数据支撑,而且也可以为其他地区的撂荒耕地识别提供参考。     

基于时序遥感数据的农作物种植制度研究进展与展望

及时准确掌握农作物种植制度时空分布信息,对于确保国家粮食安全与农业结构合理具有重要意义。随着时序遥感影像质量的不断提高,基于时序遥感数据的农作物种植制度研究备受关注。本文从研究框架、遥感特征参数以及数据产品等角度,分析了基于时序遥感数据的农作物种植制度最新研究进展。研究发现:(1)前农作物种植制度研究框架,主要包括耕地复种指数和农作物制图等相关内容,其问题在于需要高质量耕地分布数据支撑以及易将热带亚热带湿润区撂荒地误判为农作物等;(2)于红边和短波红外的新型多维度光谱指数,有助于更好地揭示农作物生长发育过程,大尺度农作物时序遥感制图取得了系列研究成果,但需要应对不同作物光谱差异细微、同种作物在不同区域和年份存在明显类内异质性的挑战;(3)尺度中高分辨率耕地复种指数产品不断丰富,但其时效性和时空连续性有待加强;(4)欧美少数国家外,目前农作物分布数据产品覆盖的作物类型有限,我国大尺度农作物种植制度数据产品欠缺,特别是复杂多熟制农业区。随着多源遥感数据时空谱分辨率的不断提高以及云计算平台性能的不断发展,我们对以下方面进行了研究展望:(1)新研究框架,建立直接提取耕作区、农作物种植模式的农作...