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Conditions for Growth of Plants

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Combating Desertification and Land Degradation

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science ((BRIEFSENVIRONMENTAL))

Abstract

This chapter sets out the approach and research methods used to assess the plant types and species that grow in different parts of the targeted Mediterranean landscape and that could potentially be used in restoration strategies and mitigation of desertified and degraded land. Species occurring in the various land units in the study catchment in southeast Spain are identified. These units are reforested land, rainfed croplands, semi-natural and abandoned land and stream channels, Factors restricting growth of trees and understorey vegetation in reforested land were assessed using experimental plots and the effects of pine litter on seed germination were tested. The potential for growth of cover crops between orchard trees was assessed from hydrological balances. Using multivariate statistical analysis various factors were found to influence the regrowth of vegetation in abandoned agricultural lands. In the ephemeral stream channels a wide range of variables was analyzed and presence of species found to be clearly related to substrate and hydrological zone. The results on differential conditions necessary for or favouring growth of various species are used in subsequent design of optimal spatial strategies of planting and restoration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jacobs, 80A Mitchell St, 952, Bendigo, VIC, Australia

    Peter Sandercock

  2. Department of Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Roxby Building, L69 7ZT, Liverpool, UK

    Janet Hooke

  3. Centro de Edafologia y Biologia Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS), Department of Soil and Water Conservation, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 164, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Gonzalo Barberá & J. I. Querejeta

  4. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificacion (CSIC-UV-GV), Carretera Moncada – Náquera, Km. 4,5, 46113, Moncada, Valencia, Spain

    J. A. Navarro-Cano

  5. Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Droevendaalsesteeg 3 (GAIA), 47, 6700AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jan Peter Lesschen

  6. Instituut voor Biodiversiteit en Ecosysteem Dynamica (IBED) Earth Surface Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    L. H. Cammeraat

  7. Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), Place Louis Pasteur 3, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    André Meerkerk & Bas van Wesemael

  8. College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Exeter, Rennes Drive, EX4 4RJ, Exeter, UK

    Sarah De Baets

  9. Division of Geography and Tourism, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Jean Poesen

Authors
  1. Peter Sandercock
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  2. Janet Hooke
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  3. Gonzalo Barberá
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  4. J. A. Navarro-Cano
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  5. J. I. Querejeta
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  6. Jan Peter Lesschen
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  7. L. H. Cammeraat
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  8. André Meerkerk
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  9. Bas van Wesemael
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  10. Sarah De Baets
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  11. Jean Poesen
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Correspondence to Peter Sandercock .

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Sandercock, P. et al. (2017). Conditions for Growth of Plants. In: Combating Desertification and Land Degradation. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44451-2_3

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