Evaluating soil quality status of fluvisols at the regional scale: A multidisciplinary approach crossing multiple variables
Metadatos
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John Wiley & Sons
Materia
Fluvial ecosystems Human activities Mediterranean Regional geography Soil quality index Soils
Date
2021-10-07Referencia bibliográfica
Rodrigo-Comino, J., Keshavarzi, A., & Senciales-González, J. M. (2021). Evaluating soil quality status of fluvisols at the regional scale: A multidisciplinary approach crossing multiple variables. River Research and Applications, 1– 15. [https://doi.org/10.1002/rra.3865]
Patrocinador
European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)Résumé
Rivers condition natural and human ecosystems, providing fertile soils and water for
irrigation and consumption in rural and urban uses. However, the intensification of
human activities and inherent environmental conditions (e.g., topography, slope or
climate) are changing the sustainability of fluvial soil ecosystems. This is problematic,
especially in the Mediterranean belt, because of a lack of studies at the regional scale
that evaluates soils traditionally associated with rivers such as the “Fluvisols” (IUSSWRB).
Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to understand the current status of
fluvial soils in the Málaga province (Southern Spain) within the Mediterranean belt
considering: (1) different thematic maps; (2) soil profiles; and (3) a soil quality index.
Fluvisols of the region were assessed using fieldwork, extensive soil data sources and
soil profiles including specific information on soil physicochemical properties and
crossing environmental conditions. A total of 195.22 km2 of fluvisols can be found in
Málaga. About 42.5% of the fluvisols are used for human activities such as agriculture
(rainfed and irrigation fields, or woody crops such as olives or vineyards), mining,
industries and services, urban areas or reservoirs. More than 58% of the fluvisols are
located in the warmest territories registering the highest evapotranspiration rates
and lowest rainfall amount. The soil quality index reaches lower scores for the
fluvisols having mean values of 0.58 (1 = maximum possible score). We conclude that
the characterization from a regional scale shed light on the current status of the
fluvisols and possible responses against human impacts and river evolution dynamics.