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Soil Erosion in NW Spain

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The Environment in Galicia: A Book of Images

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Abstract

In the soils of NW Spain there are already traces of significant erosion effects since the appearance of the first prehistoric farming practices. Subsequently, eighteenth century written documents and current literature show serious effects of erosion on agriculture and forestry. This results from erosion risks caused by the high rainfall in the area, which are only mitigated by the dense vegetation that normally covers the ground. When this vegetation cover is removed, as it happens with forest fires or during periods of soil preparation for new crops, erosion processes are very clear.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Floods occurring after fires that flow freely without the shrubs blocking their passage rush violently, dragging and carrying with them the ashes and everything that is movable until they reach the mud and the rock.

  2. 2.

    A lot of land had been dragged, and he couldn’t hold back anymore: it was the land that was unearthed, but it was him who felt grief…

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Santiago de Compostela University, Galicia, Spain

    Francisco Díaz-Fierros Viqueira

Authors
  1. Francisco Díaz-Fierros Viqueira
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Correspondence to Francisco Díaz-Fierros Viqueira .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Polytechnic School, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain

    Avelino Núñez-Delgado

  2. Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain

    Esperanza Álvarez-Rodríguez

  3. Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Area, Faculty of Sciences, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, Spain

    David Fernández-Calviño

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Viqueira, F.DF. (2023). Soil Erosion in NW Spain. In: Núñez-Delgado, A., Álvarez-Rodríguez, E., Fernández-Calviño, D. (eds) The Environment in Galicia: A Book of Images. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33114-5_28

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