Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Titre : Rock humidity in Spain’s dehesas : An additional source of water for vegetation

A study by the Hydrology and Agricultural Hydraulics group at the University of Cordoba analyses the potential of rock in dehesas as a source of water for vegetation

Phys.org/news (APRIL 29, 2021)

Présentation
oil is an essential reservoir of the water cycle, not so much because of the volume it represents, but rather due to its continuous renewal and because of humanity’s ability to take advantage of it. Although the evolution of the climate in the medium and long term may modify current conditions, thevariability of precipitation can cause notable changes in the natural systems of arid and semi-arid areas, accelerating their degradation, especially due to erosion, and, with it, the loss of soil. Thus, the challenge is not just to conserve the soil, but rather to accelerate its formation.

Soil formation processes depend on hydrological ones, so it is important to study the evolution of its humidity as an indicator. Researchers have measured soil moisture for 3 years in a dehesa located on granite materials in Cordoba’s Sierra Morena mountain range to explore asymmetries in the basin and the factors that control this variable.

Between 2016 and 2019 the team analyzed the evolution of soil moisture through a network of 32 sensors on two opposite slopes, one facing north and the other facing south. They examined the vegetation dynamics by estimating biomass and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite of Europe’s Copernicus mission, which indicates the greenness of the plant, together with the dynamics of the water table, which was only detected on the north-facing slope.

Story Source  : University of Córdoba

Annonce (Phys.org/news)