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SOIL PROTECTION Catalunya - the Balearic Islands / Principality of Andorra

 
 

soil protection (general information)

 

Vienna Soil Declaration

 

soil functions

sustainability criteria

degradation and control processes

soil protection criteria

soil quality indicators

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soil series and correlation

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Soil Series and Soil Types catalogue of Catalonia

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soil Types (> 2010)

soil Series (1993 - 2009)

DEGRADATION AND CONTROL PROCESSES

Degradation process:


Due to the elimination of soil and water conservation measures associated with mechanization or the unification of plots


Description:


The elimination of old terraces increases the average slope length, which - in turn - increases both the volume of runoff and its speed. This leads to an increase in the erosive power of water. Rills rapidly appear.

Importance: high in areas with intensive agriculture.





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The elimination of old soil and water conservation measures to favour mechanization increases the risk of erosion.
La Segarra (J. Porta)




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Valley floor where soil and water conservation measures have been eliminated and which has been ploughed following the steepest slope.
The risk of erosion is very high. La Segarra
(J. Porta)







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Easy access to powerful machinery makes it
possible to drastically modify the existing form
of the land and prepare it for planting vines.It
is necessary to foresee the potential repercussions
of topsoil removal. It is also important to design,
calculate and implement soil and water conservation
measures in order to ensure a sustainable vineyard.
Anoia (J. Porta)




Soil functions affected:



Biomass production (need for greater inputs to maintain crop yields), environmental functions (filtration), hydrological function, reduction of carbon sequestration, functions for preventing offsite effects (sediment supply during floods, silting up of dams).


Prevention and control:


To permit mechanization, a compromise must be reached between the need for plantations with rows as straightest as possible and the implementation of soil and water conservation measures. Terrace and channel design should be accompanied by pertinent calculations taking into account local rainfall characteristics and land morphology in order to ensure that runoff and drainage water circulation are not erosive.





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Traditional measures: non-mechanized vine growing involved planting vineyard that followed the natural contours of the land (contour tillage): this design is generally considered incompatible with the requirements of mechanization. Anoia (J. Porta)


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Traditional measures: the exploitation of valley floors using dry stone wall terracing prevents erosion and favours water filtration and storage: this is a very important aspect of dryland agriculture. The risk of erosion is very low.
Les Garrigues (J. Porta)


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Traditional measures in areas of low rainfall: waterlogged fields after very intense rainfall. Conservation measures have helped to retain the water thereby preventing erosive effects downstream. Les Garrigues (J. M. Villar)





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Conservation and sustainability measures: planting vineyards to produce high quality wines (1990’s) implementing soil and water conservation methods. Priorat (J. Porta)

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Conservation and sustainability
methods: unification of plots
planned according to soil
conservation criteria in
sFreising, Alemanya
(J. Porta)



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