0000000000826030
AUTHOR
Antonio Giménez Morera
Suburban Fertility and Metropolitan Cycles: Insights from European Cities
Being largely diversified along the urban–rural gradient, fertility gaps have demonstrated to fuel metropolitan expansion, contributing to natural population growth and social change. In this direction, population dynamics and economic transformations have continuously shaped urban cycles in Europe. Assuming suburban fertility to be a relevant engine of metropolitan growth, the present study investigates and discusses the intrinsic relationship between fertility transitions and urban expansion, focusing on European metropolitan regions. An average crude birth rate referring to the last decade (2013–2018) was estimated from official statistics at 671 Functional Urban Areas (FUAs, Eurostat Ur…
Soil and water losses from new citrus orchards growing on sloped soils in the western Mediterranean basin
Ten representative research sites were selected in eastern Spain to assess soil erosion rates and processes in new citrus orchards on sloping soils. The experimental plots were located at representatives sites on limestone, in areas with 498 to 715 mm year−1 mean annual rainfall, north-facing slopes, herbicide treated, and new (less than 3 years old) plantations. Ten rainfall simulation experiments (1 h at 55 mm h−1 on 0·25 m2 plots) were carried out at each of the 10 selected study sites to determine the interill soil erosion and runoff rates. The 100 rainfall simulation tests (10 × 10 m) showed that ponding and runoff occurred in all the plots, and quickly: 121 and 195 s, respectively, fo…
Analyzing long-term soil erosion in a ridge-shaped persimmon plantation in eastern Spain by means of ISUM measurements
Abstract Graft unions of cultivated plants have been used as passive bio-indicators to assess long-term soil erosion rates. By taking complementary topographical measures in inter-row areas, soil erosion can be more accurately estimated as done with the Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) in vineyards. As vines are not the only plants that are grafted, ISUM could be also applied to other crops. Most fruit trees are planted in ridges and our objective was to test if ISUM could be applied in a ridge planted persimmon plantation. This update in the methodology will allow the scientific community to expand measurements that will contribute to assessing soil erosion processes in intensive an…