Mediterranean and Mountain Agricultural Landscapes

Mediterranean Agricultural Landscapes

This region includes the coastline and Mediterranean littoral, the valley of the Guadalquivir, and the Balearic Islands. It features a rugged terrain and a coastal Mediterranean climate with very little rainfall in summer.

a) Agrarian Structure

• A large population density.
• The property is very divided. Small and medium-sized properties are found in Valencia, Murcia, and Catalonia, while medium-sized and large companies predominate in Western Andalusia.
• The land uses are diverse.

b) Agriculture

There is great differentiation between irrigated and rainfed crops.

• Irrigated crops are favored by high temperatures, mild sunstroke, the protection of relief, the existence of suitable soils, and a significant international demand from those with high purchasing power. They are engaged in early outdoor horticulture, early horticulture under plastic, Mediterranean fruit crops, and tropical fruits.
• Dryland crops (rainfed) are found in the plains of the Guadalquivir valley and the pre-littoral. In most rugged mountainous areas, they are dominated by cereals, grapes, olives, and almonds.

c) Livestock

Livestock includes cattle and swine in Catalonia, sheep and goats in the dry lands, and wild bulls on the banks of the Guadalquivir.

Mountain Agricultural Landscapes

This is a landscape with relief of high altitude and steep slopes, and climates characterized by cold winters and abundant rainfall throughout much of the year.

a) Agrarian Structure

The agrarian structure is characterized by:

• A very low population density and a depopulation trend.
• Predominant smallholding (minifundio) in closed plots.
• Diverse and complementary land uses in terms of the different climatic conditions: agriculture in the valley bottoms, forest logging on the slopes, and livestock in the bushes and grasses of the summits.

b) Agriculture

In the mountains of the northern Peninsula, agriculture is practiced in the valley bottoms and includes gardening. In the mountains of the Levant and the south, it includes crops like almonds and olives.

c) Livestock

Grazing occurs in an extensive regime. In the mountains of the northern Peninsula, sheep or cattle take advantage of breaks and clearings in the forests of the slopes, as well as shrubs and meadows of the mountains.

d) Logging

Logging focuses on the use of fuel wood and timber species such as eucalyptus, chestnut, or pine.