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Market as a factor in soil erosion: the expansion of new and old crops into marginal Mediterranean lands

Regional Environmental Change, ISSN: 1436-378X, Vol: 25, Issue: 1
2025
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Review Description

The expansion of international markets for some agricultural products explains the growth in marginal areas of the surface occupied by subtropical crops (especially avocado and mango) and the rapid penetration of pistachio plantations in the Mediterranean regions of the world. The traditional Mediterranean crops (vineyards, and olive and almond orchards) have also experienced remarkable locational changes. In most cases, this expansion has taken place towards marginal slopes, generally very steep, many of them cultivated decades ago and already abandoned. The consequence is an increased risk of erosion, which can only be counteracted by planting herbaceous plants or native shrubs between the rows of trees. Thus, changes in international markets for agricultural products can have important environmental consequences in terms of runoff generation and sediment yield, as well as disturbances in the spatial organization of rural landscapes.

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