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Is cork oak (Quercus suber L.) woodland loss driven by eucalyptus plantation ? A case study in southwestern Portugal
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
Mediterranean landscapes with open cork oak (Quercus suber L.) woodlands
have recently experienced drastic changes in southwestern Portugal. Changes
in agricultural activities, the traditional driver of the economy in this region,
led to new land uses, such as long-term set aside (shrublands) and eucalyptus
plantations. A study was conducted on the oak woodland landscape dynamics
over a 50-year period (from 1958 to 2007) in order to assess the effect of different
biophysical conditions on landscape spatial changes, and to identify the
resilience of lanscape composition to different disturbances (e.g., socio-economic
changes and wildfires). Land use changes over two consecutive periods
(1958-1995 and 1995-2007) were inferred by spatial analysis of land cover
data (aerial photographs) and related to landscape physical attributes (slope
and soil type). A transition matrix of four vegetation land-cover classes was obtained,
allowing the assessment of the landscape composition changes bewteen
the two above periods. Results showed that lansdcape in 1958 was largely occupied
by open farmland, with large patches of open oak woodlands on steep
slopes surrounding watercourses. Open farmland and shrubland drastically declined
from 1958 to 1995, while eucalyptus plantation exhibited a dramatic
expansion. Although large areas of cork oak forest turned into eucalyptus
plantation, the net loss of oak forest was low and counterbalanced by its increment
on former open farmland. The occurrence of a wildfire in 2003 promoted
a dramatic decrease in cork oak woodlands, which mostly turned into shrubland.
However, shrubland may be considered “safe sites” for ecological succession,
ensuring natural cork oak regeneration and the colonisation of neighboring
areas
Descrição
Research Article
Palavras-chave
Mediterranean climate region evergreen oak woodlands Quercus suber agroforestry systems land cover eucalyptus plantations
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Costa A, Madeira M, Lima Santos J, 2014. Is cork oak (Quercus suber L.) woodland loss driven by eucalyptus plantation? A case-study in southwestern Portugal. iForest 7: 193- 203
Editora
SISEF