Walking excavator preparing planting holes (S.Bautista)
This technology is a restauration technology implemented on degraded south-facing slopes of a semiarid mountain range. The restoration technology consisted of a plantation of seedlings of a variety of native woody species, mostly shrubs, using deep (60cm depth) planting holes. Microcatchments were established upslope the planting hole in suitable areas. Seedlings were protected from extreme radiation and predation by biodegradable seedling shelters. The target area was highly degraded due to long-term overexploitation of resources under harsh environmental conditions. Failed previous reforestation actions on bench terraces led to further degradation in some areas. Degradation resulted in low plant cover, decreased plant biodiversity, lack of riparian vegetation on the ramblas (ravines with intermittent flow), soil erosion, development of gullies, and frequent floods. To address this problem, the Forest Administration implemented a restoration program on the south-facing slopes of the Albatera-Crevillente mountain range. The program was implemented in 2006-07.
Purpose of the Technology: The purpose of the plantation is the restoration of diversity and cover of vegetation on degraded south-facing slopes of a semiarid mountain range, erosion control, and flood prevention.
Natural / human environment: The target area is the south-facing side of a mountain range in a semiarid area of Southeast Spain. Exploitation of resources over centuries, mostly grazing and wood gathering, under harsh environmental conditions, led to very low plant cover, mostly consisting of dwarf shrubs sparsed in a matrix of bare soil, lack of riparian vegetation on the ramblas (ravines with intermittent flow), soil erosion, development of gullies, and frequent floods. The exploitation of the land was drastically reduced during the second half of the 20th century due to the general rural land abandonment trend that started in Spain around the 1950’s driven by critical socio-economic changes such as the use of fossil fuels and the sharp increase in activity in the tourism and services business sectors, mostly in the coast land. However, despite the reduction, or even complete abandonment, of rural activity on the mountain range area, there was no sign of spontaneous recovery from degradation. Soil erosion and floods were of major concern for the resource managers in the area (Public Forest Administration), and a number of reforestation and restoration programs have been implemented in the area, with varying degree of success. In more recent decades, new pressures appeared in the mountain area, such as agricultural expansion into the range area (1970s), mining activities (late 1990’s - early 2000’s), and urbanization (2000s). Rural tourism and recreation are new activities in the mountain range area. For the time being, the intensity of these activities is low to moderate. However there is already some evidence of incipient degradation associated to recreation, and some regulation is being demanded by environmental NGOs.
Lugar: Albatera, Spain/Alicante, España
No. de sitios de Tecnología analizados:
Difusión de la Tecnología:
¿En un área de protección permanente?:
Fecha de la implementación: hace menos de 10 años (recientemente)
Tipo de introducción
| Especifique insumo | Unidad | Cantidad | Costos por unidad (Euro) | Costos totales por insumo (Euro) | % de los costos cubiertos por los usuarios de las tierras |
| Mano de obra | |||||
| Labour | ha | 1,0 | 1343,0 | 1343,0 | 100,0 |
| Equipo | |||||
| Machine use | ha | 1,0 | 853,0 | 853,0 | 100,0 |
| Material para plantas | |||||
| Seedlings | ha | 1,0 | 252,0 | 252,0 | 100,0 |
| Fertilizantes y biocidas | |||||
| Biocides | ha | 1,0 | 154,0 | 154,0 | 100,0 |
| Otros | |||||
| Tree shelters | ha | 1,0 | 424,0 | 424,0 | 100,0 |
| Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología | 3'026.0 | ||||
| Costos totales para establecer la Tecnología en USD | 3'879.49 | ||||
Recreational use
