Afforestation after land abandonment as a nature-based solution in Mediterranean mid-mountain areas: Implications and research gaps

Management policies after abandonment in Mediterranean mid-mountains have encouraged the establishment of afforestations being considered as an NBS. Related to the implication on soil afforestation can (i) accelerate the recovery of some soil properties but it is necessary for long time periods, (ii...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Nadal-Romero, Estela, Llena, Manel, Cortijos-López, Melani, Lasanta Martínez, Teodoro
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositorio:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/344278
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/344278
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Afforestation
Land abandonment
Soil properties
Soil organic carbon
Water
Erosion risk
Descripción
Sumario:Management policies after abandonment in Mediterranean mid-mountains have encouraged the establishment of afforestations being considered as an NBS. Related to the implication on soil afforestation can (i) accelerate the recovery of some soil properties but it is necessary for long time periods, (ii) change above- and belowground litter quality and quantity producing a constant SOC accumulation, (iii) improve aggregate stability, and (iv) increase the presence of macro-aggregates and the water holding capacity of the soil. Likewise, afforestation threatens water resources: (i) reduces the number of floods; (ii) decreases annual water yield; (iii) delays peak flows but increases the duration of floods; (iv) increases interception of rainfall, and (iv) typically reduces the erosion risk and the volume of sediment, but not during the first years due to high geomorphic activity. However, there is still considerable scientific uncertainty and research on the impacts of afforestation in soil and water conservation is still needed.