Spanish Forests and Agricultural Systems — Dehesa & Irrigation

Deciduous Forest

Deciduous forest. Vegetation consists of trees that lose their leaves in autumn and regrow them in spring. Vegetation is very rich in tree species; these predominate, although in Spain only a few species are common, such as oak and beech. The understory is made up of hawthorn, juniper and holly. In spring, a variety of herbs, mosses and ferns develop, covering the ground. These forests are typical of oceanic climates and mountain areas.

• Typical understory species: hawthorn, juniper, holly
• Spring ground cover: herbs, mosses, ferns

Evergreen Forest

Evergreen forest. It consists of medium-height trees with thick, rough bark and branches that create large canopies, which cast shade on the ground to mitigate sunshine and evaporation. The most characteristic species are the oak and cork oak. It has a rich understory; trees are spaced some distance from each other, allowing light to penetrate easily.

Dehesa

Dehesa. The Dehesa is a large agricultural and livestock system that also functions as a forest, harvesting wood and cork from oaks. Its orientation is livestock-based; it is especially important to use the acorns of oaks and cork trees to fatten pigs. Currently, the better soils are used for mechanized agriculture. The pasture is characteristic of siliceous areas of the western Iberian Peninsula.

Small Cultivated Plot

Culture plot. It is the smallest land division. It is generally defined by boundaries; plots can be open if there is no physical separation.

Irrigation

Irrigation. Irrigation is a crop technology that provides plants with additional water beyond rainfall, sourced from rivers, lakes, reservoirs and aquifers. It allows intensive agriculture and high yields. The areas of Spain with the greatest weight of irrigation are the Mediterranean coast, the valleys of the Ebro and the Duero, and Extremadura.

Intensive Agriculture

Agriculture intensive. Intensive agriculture is an approach that obtains, in the shortest possible time and space, high-quality products through the use of techniques such as seed selection, fertilizer use, irrigation and crop rotation. Intensive agriculture is expensive, but provides high yields.

Extensive Agriculture

Extensive agriculture. Cultivation of large areas with low yields per unit area. It tends to require less economic investment compared to intensive agriculture. In Spain it is widely used in the interior for rainfed cereal crops in areas where the fallow system is still frequently used.

Sharecropping

Sharecropping. Sharecropping is a system of land tenure in which the owner and the worker share production. It is a variable contract in which the worker pays the owner a proportion of crop or livestock production. Usually the owner provides the land, machinery and seeds, and pays taxes, while the sharecropper provides labor. This system of tenure was once widespread in Spain but has now declined sharply as it is better suited to a more closed or subsistence economy.