Spanish Agricultural Landscapes: Regional Characteristics

Agricultural Landscapes in Spain

The Wet Spain Landscape

This region comprises the north and northwest of the peninsula. It has hilly terrain and a rainy oceanic climate throughout the year.

Agrarian Structure

The agrarian structure is characterized by:

• Traditionally, a very large population, now reduced and generally older.
• Predominance of small farms and small fields surrounded by hedgerows, often located far apart.

Land Uses

Land uses in this area include:

1. Agriculture: Occupies a small area, primarily dedicated to rain-fed agriculture. Currently, polyculture has been disappearing, with agriculture increasingly specializing in horticulture (gardening).
2. Livestock Farming: This is the most important economic activity, favoured by climatic conditions and urban demand for milk and meat. In Galicia, small and medium-sized family farms continue to dominate. On the Cantabrian coast, part-time farming has become more common. Prospects are challenging due to increasing competitiveness.
3. Forestry: Also an important activity, focused on the furniture industry and paper pulp production.

The Mediterranean Agricultural Landscape

This area includes the Mediterranean coast and littoral, the Guadalquivir valley, and the Balearic Islands. The area has rugged terrain (flat near the coast, mountainous in some pre-littoral zones) and is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with very dry summers.

Agrarian Structure

• Features a large population tending towards concentrated settlements.
• Land ownership is generally highly fragmented.

Land Uses

Land uses are diverse:

1. Agriculture: Can be irrigated or rain-fed.
   • Irrigated crops include outdoor horticulture, fruit growing (often under plastic), and Mediterranean and tropical fruits. This is common in Malaga and Granada.
   • Dryland agriculture occurs in the plains of the Guadalquivir valley and in the more mountainous pre-littoral areas. It is dominated by cereals, grapes, olives, and almonds.
2. Livestock: Includes dominant cattle and swine farming in Catalonia, sheep and goats adapted to dryland conditions, and fighting bulls along the banks of the Guadalquivir.

The Mountain Agricultural Landscape

This landscape features high-altitude relief, steep slopes, and a climate with cold winters and abundant precipitation.

Agrarian Structure

The agrarian structure is characterized by:

• Very low population densities. Settlement is typically dispersed.
• Small property ownership predominates, often in enclosed plots separated from each other; hills and meadows are common features.

Land Uses

Land uses are diverse and complementary, scaled according to weather conditions:

• Agriculture: In the mountains of the northern peninsula, it is practiced in valley bottoms and includes horticulture. In the mountains of the Levant and the south, crops like almonds and olives ascend terraced slopes.
• Livestock: Grazing occurs under an extensive regime, utilizing the bushes and grasses of the summits. In the northern peninsular mountains, sheep or cattle are common. In the Mediterranean mountains, where supra-forestal scrub and pasture are often lacking, sheep farming dominates.
• Logging: Focuses on fuelwood and timber from species like eucalyptus, chestnut, or pine.

The Canary Islands Agricultural Landscape

This region has rugged volcanic relief and a warm climate year-round with limited precipitation.

Agrarian Structure

• The rural population is shrinking due to the attraction of tertiary activities (tourism). Loose, concentrated settlement predominates.
• Land ownership shows significant contrasts between small farms and large irrigated farms on the coast.

Land Use

The cultivated area is small:

• Coastal areas: Dominated by monoculture for export (often under plastic) and new tropical fruit plantations.
• Middle and upper inland areas: Feature traditional, rain-fed agriculture oriented towards self-consumption. Vine crops and potatoes are now characteristic, while wheat cultivation has significantly decreased.

Livestock

Sheep and goat farming is scarce and linked to agriculture.

Logging

Utilizes wood from pine trees, heather (fayal-brezal), and laurel for construction, crop supports, and charcoal.