VICENTE-SERRANO, S.M., LASANTA T. Y ROMO A.(en prensa): Analysis of the spatial
and temporal evolution of vegetation cover in the Spanish Central Pyrenees:
the role of human management. Environmental Management.
Idioma / Language
Inglés / English
Resumen / Abstract
Vegetation cover increment
has been identified at global scales using satellite images and vegetation indices.
This fact is usually explained by global climatic change processes as CO2 and
temperature growth. Nevertheless, although these causes can be important, the
role of socio-economic transformations must be considered in some spaces, since
in several areas of Northern Hemisphere an important change in management practices
has been detected. The rural depopulation and land abandonment have reactivated
the natural vegetal regeneration processes. This work analyses the vegetation
evolution in the central Spanish Pyrenees from 1982 to 2000. The analysis has
been taken using calibrated-NDVI temporal series from NOAA-AVHRR images. A positive
and significant trend in NDVI data has been identified from 1982 to 2000 coinciding
with temperature increment in the study area. However, the spatial differences
in magnitude and sign of NDVI trends are significant. The role of land management
changes in the twenty-century is considered as hypothesis of the spatial differences
in NDVI trends. The role of land-cover and human land-uses on this process has
been analysed. The highest increment of NDVI is detected in lands affected by
abandonment and human extensification. The importance of management changes in
vegetation growth is discussed, and we indicate that although climate has a great
importance in vegetal evolution, the land-management changes can not be neglected
in our study area.
Palabras clave / Keywords
Vegetation evolution,
revegetation processes, vegetal trends, abandonment, extensification, NDVI, NOAA-AVHRR,
Pyrenees, Spain