Erosión hídrica en campos de agricultura extensiva de clima mediterráneo. Influencia del manejo del suelo en Castilla-La Mancha

Abstract

The hydrological and erosive responses of different agricultural management systems, applied in experimental plots of the USLE type under natural rainfall and of those present in agricultural slopes affected by a single event of high rainfall intensity, are compared. The role of some key factors to determinate the intensity of the erosive process in the agro-environmental conditions in the study area, is analysed. Between others, the following key factors are discussed: the seasonally variability of soil cover and the oriented roughness on the soil surface (i.e., direction of the tillage furrows). Results indicate the need to evaluate the efficiency of the different practices of conservation to the agro-environmental conditions where the practices are applied. Results demonstrate the predominance of the erosive effects of the rainfall episodes of high intensity, in the study area. Findings point to the need to evaluate the efficiency of the different practices of conservation during the extreme episodes of rainfall.