The Contrasted Impact of Land Abandonment on Soil Erosion in Mediterranean Agriculture Fields

Abandonment of agricultural land results in on- and off-site consequences on soil system and there is a need to evaluate the impact on soil erosion to understand the ecosystem's changes. The aim of this research is to assess the impact of abandonment in four Mediterranean crops (vineyards, almonds, citrus and olives) on soil and water losses. To achieve this goal, 105 rainfall simulation experiments were conducted in agriculture fields (vineyards in Málaga, almonds in Murcia, and citrus and olive in Valencia) and on the paired abandoned plots. After abandonment, soil detachment decreased drastically in the olive and citrus orchards, meanwhile vineyards did not show any difference and almonds registered higher erosion rates after the abandonment. Terraced orchards of citrus and olives recovered a dense vegetation cover after the abandonment, meanwhile the sloping terrain of almonds and vineyards enhanced the development of crusts and rills and a negligible plant cover that resulted in high erosion rates. The contrasted response of the abandonment is discussed