Agroforestry Systems in Southeastern Spain

Abstract

Two types of agroforestry systems can be found within the Segura river basin: (a) silvopastoral systems (forest-pasture-ruminants) on cold and moist mountain zones (1,000–2,000 m); — occupying 20% of the basin, where the Segura river originates and the major proportion of protected forest is concentrated — but where human presence is insignificant (1%) — livestock activity is scarce (11.6% of the census), and (b) agrosilvopasture systems (sheep-cereal-rangeland), on dry and cold high tableland (500–1,000 m altitude); occupying 40% of the basin; sustaining half of the ruminants; where half of the land is cultivated under dryland agriculture and sustains a high biodiversity, its human population is scarce (16% of total basin); the economic situation is marginal and; soil erosion losses are high (40% of total). In the other 40% of the basin (lower coastal areas), true agroforestry systems do not exist because livestock is fed with forage by-products from agriculture and concentrates, maintaining high stocking densities, exceeding the capacity of the natural resources. Altogether, agroforestry systems occupy 60% of the basin territory and maintain 62% of the livestock population, but only 17% of the human population, who live under a marginal economic situation and depend on external assistance to maintain their economic activity and to protect the water, forest and biodiversity resources of the basin.