| Context: Abandonment of agricultural land in the Mediterranean is increasing as a result of socio-economic and biophysical reasons. The consequences of land abandonment on soils, vegetation and erosion are not clear, while feedbacks and connectivity between soil, vegetation and erosion make this even more complicated. Aim: The main objective of this PhD study is to understand and quantify relationships between soil properties, vegetation and erosion after agricultural land abandonment at multiple scales. These relations will be used in a catchment scale runoff-erosion model based on connectivity of the landscape. Furthermore, the study will deliver measures for the mitigation of erosion after land abandonment, with a focus on bioengineering techniques. Methods: literature review, fieldwork in the study areas of SE Spain and Tuscany, land use modelling (CLUE-S model), GIS analysis, dynamic runoff and erosion modelling, upscaling techniques. |
