Agricultural Landscape of the Iberian Peninsula Hinterland

The peninsula hinterland agricultural landscape includes both plateaus and the Ebro basin. The physical environment of this area features a flat relief, a high average elevation, and a Mediterranean climate characterized by summer rainfall shortages and sharp seasonal thermal contrasts.

Agrarian Structure

The agrarian structure is characterized by the following features:

• Demographics: The agricultural population is small and aging due to strong emigration between 1950 and 1975.
• Settlement Patterns: Settlements are concentrated in villages—small and close together in the Douro and Ebro Valleys, but large and sparse in the southern half of the peninsula.
• Farm Size: Smallholdings predominate in the Douro Valley, though they have declined due to emigration, land consolidation, and irrigation projects in the Ebro. Large properties remain characteristic of the dry lands of Castile, Aragon, and Extremadura.
• Land Use: Agricultural land uses are divided into farming, livestock, and forestry.

Rainfed vs. Irrigated Agriculture

Agriculture shows clear differences between rainfed (dryland) and irrigated areas:

• Rainfed Farming: Dominates the meseta countryside and non-irrigated areas of the Ebro Valley. It utilizes extensive open fields, focusing on the trilogía mediterránea: cereals, grapes, and olives.
• Irrigated Farming: Allows for more intensive agricultural production.

Livestock and Breeding

Breeding is significant in drylands and rangelands:

• Sheep and Cattle: The dry lands of Castile and the Ebro basin support large sheep populations grazing on stubble. Additionally, Castile has developed dairy cattle farming, utilizing fodder produced on irrigated land.
• Western Regions: Extremadura, Salamanca, Zamora, and Andalusia feature agroganaderas (mixed farming and livestock) holdings that also profit from wood and cork oak.
• Traditional Systems: The dehesa (pasture) traditionally supported sheep, pigs, and cattle. Land was used in long rotations to provide food during summer droughts, with oak and cork fruits used for fattening pigs.
• Modern Changes: Current systems have shifted toward veal production, improved soil management, and alternative land uses such as hunting.

Forestry

Logging is a typical activity in specific areas, such as the Tierra de Pinares in Soria.