Deforestation by historical lime industry in an arid aeolian sedimentary system: An applied and methodological research.

Traditional land uses have been altering aeolian sedimentary systems for centuries through the removal of plant material for grazing, fuel or farming purposes. However, few studies have been able to quantify the deforestation process associated with these land uses due to the complexity that this entails and the limitations of the historical sources. In this context, the aim of this work is to develop a methodology that allows to reconstruct, evaluate, measure and locate the effects of deforestation processes. The methodology, based on the interpretation of historical documents, oral interviews and publications in the literature; was applied to a case study in Jandía (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain). On the basis of morphological measurements of the types of plant used to fire lime kilns, the current available biovolume was determined and an estimation made of the surface area affected by plant removal. The data obtained were integrated and analysed through a geographic information system (GIS) in order to quantify the impact of the lime kiln industry on the vegetation in the study area. The main results show that to fire a large-sized lime kiln oven it would be necessary to clear a low-density vegetation area of 21,826.08 m2 (or a a high-density vegetation area of 3075.72 m2) using three main species (Launaea arborescens, Lycium intricatum and Convolvulus caput-madusae). It was also found that distances of up to 38 km had to be travelled to obtain the vegetation required to fire the kilns. It is concluded that a number of impacts resulted from the demands of the limestone industry, particularly on plant communities, the abundance of certain species and flora richness, as well as modifications to geomorphological processes and the eventual collapse of the activity in the 1960s through overexploitation of the plant material. The present research allows us to learn from past experiences in which industries lacked proper planning and thus their activity led to their own collapse and rapid environmental degradation.

An historical ecological assessment of land-use evolution and observed landscape change in an arid aeolian sedimentary system.

Coastal areas worldwide are undergoing major changes and degradation due to a set of combined natural and anthropogenic stressors. In arid aeolian sedimentary systems these changes can be even more acute given their sensitivity to perturbances in landscape dynamics. While in many such areas recent (20 year) observations have been made regarding measurable differences in dune coverage and stability, few studies have assessed and quantified the long-term relationships of transitioning exploitation and land-use changes in order to fully evaluate their importance. Land management, therefore, does not always benefit from the more holistic picture that a combined deeper time historical ecology and geographical approach provides and can contribute to decision making. The Jandía isthmus, in Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain) presented an ideal field laboratory in which to assess these phenomena in actual conditions and test a combined methodology using historical and current sources (historical documents, aerial photographs, orthophotos, LiDAR data, field work and oral sources). By doing so, different phases of land exploitation associated with changing land ownership were identified and the consequences of each on the dune system assessed. It is concluded that the transition from traditional land uses (livestock and fuel extraction) to more recent ones (aggregate extraction, construction of new roads and urban-touristic resorts, and some recreational uses) has altered aeolian sedimentary transport, inducing stabilization of the landforms, as well as producing significant changes in the vegetation. The wider application of this type of study can benefit the many other areas worldwide that are facing similar pressures.