Climatology, Bioclimatology and Vegetation Cover: Tools to Mitigate Climate Change in Olive Groves
Ana Cano-Ortiz,
Jose Carlos Piñar Fuentes,
Felipe Leiva Gea,
Jehad Mahmoud Hussein Ighbareyeh,
Ricardo Jorje Quinto Canas,
Catarina Isabel Rodrigues Meireles,
Mauro Raposo,
Carlos Jose Pinto Gomes,
Giovanni Spampinato,
Sara del Río González,
Carmelo Maria Musarella,
Eusebio Cano
Affiliations
Ana Cano-Ortiz
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Jose Carlos Piñar Fuentes
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Felipe Leiva Gea
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Jehad Mahmoud Hussein Ighbareyeh
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Ricardo Jorje Quinto Canas
Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Catarina Isabel Rodrigues Meireles
Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning, Institute for Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology, University of Évora (Portugal), Rua Romão Ramalho, no 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Mauro Raposo
Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning, Institute for Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology, University of Évora (Portugal), Rua Romão Ramalho, no 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Carlos Jose Pinto Gomes
Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning, Institute for Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology, University of Évora (Portugal), Rua Romão Ramalho, no 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Giovanni Spampinato
Department of Agraria, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Feo di Vito, snc-89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
Sara del Río González
Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management (Botany), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Mountain Livestock Institute (CSIC-ULE), University of León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
Carmelo Maria Musarella
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Eusebio Cano
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology Section of Botany, University of Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
This work establishes the relationship between bioclimatology and agronomy. Bioclimatic indices are obtained for several areas under olive cultivation and correlated with olive yields. Due to the effect of climate change on cultivation and the high economic losses it produces, we propose a sustainable development model for the territorial classification of crops based on bioclimatic knowledge. Bioclimatic diagrams are prepared to provide information on water stress in crops so that irrigation can be carried out at the most effective time, a measure that has been shown to lead to water and energy savings for growers. In addition to this development model, we propose the application of non-aggressive cultivation techniques such as the use of living plant cover to ensure the protection of the soil and avoid losses due to climate irregularities. Studies conducted up to the present on applied bioclimatology have yielded promising results in the fields of farming and forestry. The maps and bioclimatic indices of Professor Rivas-Martínez, Ic, Io and It/Itc, are essential for bioclimatic classification. The agricultural development model with a bioclimatic basis ensures economic savings for growers and minimizes the environmental impact of cultivation. In the case of olive cultivation we detected that in 2005 all the cultivated areas that were not in their thermoclimatic optimum were damaged by frost. The widespread cultivation of olive groves in the Mediterranean basin, and mainly in the south of Spain, is reason enough to establish a relationship between its production and its bioclimatic environment. The ombroclimatic study in certain localities under olive cultivation shows that areas with Io Stellarietea mediae constitutes the basis for establishing either natural or sown vegetation cover.
