Valuing the Little Things: The Role of Small Orchards in Landscape Configuration

Small orchards, typical of Mediterranean landscapes’ mosaic configuration, are often overlooked in research and management projects. Under the hypothesis that these part-time cultivated gardens are relevant for maintaining a multifunctional landscape, 30 orchards in 15 rural municipalities located in Madrid, Spain were characterized through semi-structured interviews and field trips. Changes in landscape configuration were quantified by simulating the conversion of these orchards to the most likely use type. Our statistics show that 79% of the orchards are managed by part-time farmers older than 50 years old, with 71% being men. Many of these orchards work as links to families' agricultural past, while there is a perception of little generational turnover. According to the correspondence analysis, soil conservation techniques, drip irrigation, and biological control are yet uncommon management practices among these orchards. Landscape configuration analyses show that the loss of these orchards will generate simple landscapes with larger areas and lower edge density. These homogeneous landscapes are associated with a decrease in the number of species and ecosystem services. Our results manifest the role of orchards in sustaining a diverse and multifunctional landscape.