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Prof. Dr. Alejandro Rescia Perazzo
Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain

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0 Ecology
0 Landscape Ecology
0 Restoration
0 Socio-Ecological Systems
0 Biodiversity conservation

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Journal article
Published: 16 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Spain has more than 2.5 M ha of olive groves, with 60% of this area (i.e., 1.5 M ha) concentrated in the region of Andalusia (Southern Spain). Assuming the socio-ecological characteristics of these crops, of which their contribution to ecosystemic services (ES) is fundamental for society, it is highly relevant to direct their management towards practices that guarantee their durability. Organic management of olive groves constitutes a multifunctional model that contributes to ensuring its sustainability and represents 2.4–3.5% of the olive grove area in Spain. Taking the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Estepa (Southwestern Spain) as a study model, where organic olive groves are novel, a study of the impacts of erosion on the economic, social, and environmental factors associated with this management was carried out in addition to estimating its impacts. The results showed how organic management promotes edaphic fertility, keeping the levels of diffuse pollution under the legislative limits. Although the increase in erosion has negative effects on the sustainability/durability of agricultural holdings, organic management consolidates a sustainable model that satisfies farmers’ demands. Therefore, organic farming is a model that focuses on the correct use of natural resources associated with the geographical region of study, and contributes to increasing the sustainability of olive groves.

ACS Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; Carlos Parra-López; Samir Sayadi-Gmada; Jesús Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain). Sustainability 2021, 13, 7983 .

AMA Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa, Carlos Parra-López, Samir Sayadi-Gmada, Jesús Barandica, Alejandro Rescia. Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain). Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7983.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; Carlos Parra-López; Samir Sayadi-Gmada; Jesús Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. 2021. "Impacts of Erosion on the Sustainability of Organic Olive Groves: A Case Study (Estepa Region, Southwestern Spain)." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7983.

Journal article
Published: 31 March 2021 in Agronomy
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Olive groves are Mediterranean systems that occupy more than 2.5 M ha in Spain and 0.352 M ha in Portugal. Assuming the differences between both countries in terms of olive grove regulation and considering their multifunctionality, it is useful to implement agronomic indices to estimate their sustainability. The Soil Loss Tolerance Index (SLTI) and the Soil Productivity Index (SPI) are two such indices. We calculated both indices in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Norte Alentejano (Portugal). The SLTI index was adapted considering specific variables of the analysed olive groves (i.e., SLTIog). The values obtained were compared with those previously estimated for PDO Estepa (Spain). The negative impacts of erosion and the underlying agricultural practices on the sustainability of olive groves became evident, resulting in decreased soil productivity at the regional level. The SLTIog index showed higher values for crops, being a more realistic tool to analyse sustainability. A higher soil loss tolerance was detected for integrated groves in the PDO Norte Alentejano than for PDO Estepa due to the shorter age of olive cultivation in Portugal, with incipient soil impacts. These indices provide information on the degree of soil erosion, allowing farmers and decision-makers to apply practices to maximise the sustainability of olive groves.

ACS Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; José Muñoz-Rojas; Teresa Pinto-Correia; Pedro Aguilera; Jesús Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. A Comparative Analysis of Soil Loss Tolerance and Productivity of the Olive Groves in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Areas Norte Alentejano (Portugal) and Estepa (Andalusia, Spain). Agronomy 2021, 11, 665 .

AMA Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa, José Muñoz-Rojas, Teresa Pinto-Correia, Pedro Aguilera, Jesús Barandica, Alejandro Rescia. A Comparative Analysis of Soil Loss Tolerance and Productivity of the Olive Groves in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Areas Norte Alentejano (Portugal) and Estepa (Andalusia, Spain). Agronomy. 2021; 11 (4):665.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; José Muñoz-Rojas; Teresa Pinto-Correia; Pedro Aguilera; Jesús Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. 2021. "A Comparative Analysis of Soil Loss Tolerance and Productivity of the Olive Groves in the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Areas Norte Alentejano (Portugal) and Estepa (Andalusia, Spain)." Agronomy 11, no. 4: 665.

Journal article
Published: 29 October 2020 in Agriculture
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Olive groves form characteristic Mediterranean socio-ecological landscapes, occupying more than 5 M ha; 2.5 M ha in Spain. In recent decades, traditional extensive management of olive groves has shifted to an intensive regime, with some cases of abandonment. These situations triggered negative environmental and economic externalities that led farmers to adopt increasingly multifunctional management models. From a transdisciplinary perspective, the current state of Spanish olive groves was analyzed, assessing their vulnerability to climate change as one of the main threats to their sustainability. Based on our findings and assuming that by 2050, in the Mediterranean, there will be an increase in temperature of 0.8–2.3 °C and a decrease in rainfall of up to 200 mm per year, a displacement of the distribution area of olive groves is expected towards zones of lower temperature and higher moisture. The predicted climatic conditions would increase evapotranspiration of vegetation and atmospheric CO2 emissions. Moreover, climate change will reduce the chill accumulation in olive groves, altering its flowering, fructification and crop yields. Thus, it is necessary to adopt management models that promote olive grove resilience in face of climate change, ensuring their socio-ecological sustainability.

ACS Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús Barandica; Pedro Aguilera; Alejandro Rescia. Examining Potential Environmental Consequences of Climate Change and Other Driving Forces on the Sustainability of Spanish Olive Groves under a Socio-Ecological Approach. Agriculture 2020, 10, 509 .

AMA Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa, Jesús Barandica, Pedro Aguilera, Alejandro Rescia. Examining Potential Environmental Consequences of Climate Change and Other Driving Forces on the Sustainability of Spanish Olive Groves under a Socio-Ecological Approach. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (11):509.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús Barandica; Pedro Aguilera; Alejandro Rescia. 2020. "Examining Potential Environmental Consequences of Climate Change and Other Driving Forces on the Sustainability of Spanish Olive Groves under a Socio-Ecological Approach." Agriculture 10, no. 11: 509.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2020 in Land
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Olive groves are representative of the landscape and culture of Spain. They occupy 2.5 M ha (1.5 M ha in Andalusia) and are characterised by their multifunctionality. In recent years, socio-economic and environmental factors (i.e., erosion) have compromised their sustainability, leading farmers to abandon their farms or intensify their management. The main objective/purpose of this research was to study the drivers and concerns that condition farmers’ choice of a given olive grove management model. Taking the Estepa region as a case study (Andalusia, Spain), surveys were conducted among farmers with integrated and organic managed olive groves. The socio-economic aspects were the main objectives and concerns of the farmers with integrated olive groves. In the case of farmers with organic management, conservation objectives prevailed, and their concerns were oriented to environmental threats. The education level was a key factor in the adoption of given farm management, as it increased the level of environmental awareness. In the context of multifunctional agriculture, it would be desirable to increase this awareness of the environmental threats against olive groves, in order to provide incentives for the implementation of agri-environmental practices that would enhance the sustainability of these systems.

ACS Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Carlos Parra-López; Samir Sayadi-Gmada; Jesús M. Barandica; Alejandro J. Rescia. Evaluation of the Objectives and Concerns of Farmers to Apply Different Agricultural Managements in Olive Groves: The Case of Estepa Region (Southern, Spain). Land 2020, 9, 366 .

AMA Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa, Carlos Parra-López, Samir Sayadi-Gmada, Jesús M. Barandica, Alejandro J. Rescia. Evaluation of the Objectives and Concerns of Farmers to Apply Different Agricultural Managements in Olive Groves: The Case of Estepa Region (Southern, Spain). Land. 2020; 9 (10):366.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Carlos Parra-López; Samir Sayadi-Gmada; Jesús M. Barandica; Alejandro J. Rescia. 2020. "Evaluation of the Objectives and Concerns of Farmers to Apply Different Agricultural Managements in Olive Groves: The Case of Estepa Region (Southern, Spain)." Land 9, no. 10: 366.

Journal article
Published: 22 June 2020 in Global Ecology and Conservation
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Climate change has been related to the current loss of global biodiversity. In this paper, the effects of different scenarios of climate change on the distribution of the four classes of terrestrial vertebrate species in Andalusia (Spain) are explored. The goal is to obtain potential climatically suitable areas for each group (amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds) under each proposed scenario and examine the usefulness of the current static design of protected areas. We propose a methodology to construct habitat suitability models, which are used to predict the expected species richness given each projected scenario of climate change. The relative change of the species richness within National and Natural Parks, remainder of Natura (2000) network and unprotected areas is compared. The results of the study show a broad effect of climate change on the species richness distribution. In general, there is a loss of specific richness and a restricted availability of suitable areas. The protected areas located in higher altitudes maintain the best conditions for the survival of the taxa considered in the proposed climate change scenarios.

ACS Style

A.D. Maldonado; A. Valdivielso; A. Rescia; P.A. Aguilera. Probabilistic graphical models for species richness prediction: Are current protected areas effective to face climate emergency? Global Ecology and Conservation 2020, 23, e01162 .

AMA Style

A.D. Maldonado, A. Valdivielso, A. Rescia, P.A. Aguilera. Probabilistic graphical models for species richness prediction: Are current protected areas effective to face climate emergency? Global Ecology and Conservation. 2020; 23 ():e01162.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A.D. Maldonado; A. Valdivielso; A. Rescia; P.A. Aguilera. 2020. "Probabilistic graphical models for species richness prediction: Are current protected areas effective to face climate emergency?" Global Ecology and Conservation 23, no. : e01162.

Journal article
Published: 27 February 2020 in Applied Geography
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The spatial structure of agricultural landscapes can affect crop resilience to potential pest development. Previous studies have found several spatial landscape metrics related to the abundance of the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, and these were combined to elaborate a spatial resilience index. In this paper, this index was calculated for olive landscapes all over Spain, for four years spanning a 50-year temporal range (1956, 1984, 1998 and 2008), using a network of 64 16-km2 plots representing olive landscapes within a bio-geo-climatic gradient. The resilience index was then modified adapting it through the weighting of spatial landscape metrics determined from the monitoring of this time-series analysis. The results showed that the values of spatial resilience of olive landscapes is predominantly low in southern Spain and medium in northeast and central Spain. The value of the index increased throughout the time-series considered, but not in the south. Expansion and concentration of olive groves, diversification of land uses, and fragmentation of landscapes have been the driving forces behind the evolution and current spatial structure of olive landscapes. The weighted resilience index constitutes a valuable tool for the socio-ecological planning of olive landscapes.

ACS Style

Marta Ortega; Susana Pascual; Ramón Elena-Rosselló; Alejandro J. Rescia. Land-use and spatial resilience changes in the Spanish olive socio-ecological landscape. Applied Geography 2020, 117, 102171 .

AMA Style

Marta Ortega, Susana Pascual, Ramón Elena-Rosselló, Alejandro J. Rescia. Land-use and spatial resilience changes in the Spanish olive socio-ecological landscape. Applied Geography. 2020; 117 ():102171.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marta Ortega; Susana Pascual; Ramón Elena-Rosselló; Alejandro J. Rescia. 2020. "Land-use and spatial resilience changes in the Spanish olive socio-ecological landscape." Applied Geography 117, no. : 102171.

Journal article
Published: 21 November 2019 in Agronomy
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Spain is the world's leading producer of olive oil, with the largest number of olive agro-systems in the Andalusia region. However, rural migration, low profitability, and biophysical limitations to production have compromised their sustainability. Soil erosion is the main cause of declining production and must be controlled to sustain production and keep soil loss below a threshold (soil loss tolerance, SLT). In this paper, the Soil Loss Tolerance Index (SLTI) for non-specific crops was calculated, theoretically, in different Andalusian olive-growing areas. A new Soil Loss Tolerance Index specifically for olive groves was developed (SLTIog) using soil variables related to erosion corresponding to the Estepa region. This index and the Soil Productive Index (SPI) were estimated. Andalusian olive groves with severe erosion were unsustainable for a 150-year period according to SLTI. However, applying the SLTIog in olive groves of Estepa, soil loss was not unsustainable. Although no statistically significant differences were detected between the two SLT indices, the consideration of specific soil variables in the SLTIog made it more accurate and reliable for the assessment of potential long-term sustainability. The use of specific indices for olive groves can inform the adoption of management measures to maintain productivity and support conservation.

ACS Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús María Barandica; Alejandro J. Rescia. Estimation of Soil Loss Tolerance in Olive Groves as an Indicator of Sustainability: The Case of the Estepa Region (Andalusia, Spain). Agronomy 2019, 9, 785 .

AMA Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa, Jesús María Barandica, Alejandro J. Rescia. Estimation of Soil Loss Tolerance in Olive Groves as an Indicator of Sustainability: The Case of the Estepa Region (Andalusia, Spain). Agronomy. 2019; 9 (12):785.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús María Barandica; Alejandro J. Rescia. 2019. "Estimation of Soil Loss Tolerance in Olive Groves as an Indicator of Sustainability: The Case of the Estepa Region (Andalusia, Spain)." Agronomy 9, no. 12: 785.

Journal article
Published: 28 August 2019 in Sustainability
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In the last 50 years, both the agricultural labour force and irrigated land area have increased almost eightfold in Spain. The main objective of irrigation, in the short term, is to increase agricultural production. However, in the long term, the environmental externalities of irrigation and its direct relationship with soil erosion processes are more uncertain and still poorly studied. In this study, in an olive-growing region of Andalusia, Spain, the variation of several soil parameters related to irrigation and erosion levels was analysed. The results showed that irrigation, while increasing the productive level of the olive groves, entails a progressive alteration of the soil, modifying physical aspects (greater compaction and humidity of the soil together with lower gravel content, porosity and soil weight) and chemical aspects (reduction of the organic matter of the soil and the content of nitrates) that can aggravate the consequences of the erosive processes. In the long term, the productive benefit attributed to irrigation could be unsustainable from an ecological and, consequently, economic point of view. In addition, the lack of sustainability of olive irrigation agroecosystems could be exacerbated by the future restrictive impacts of climate change on water resources in Mediterranean environments. This situation demands spatial planning and alternative management based on soil conservation and rational and efficient forms of irrigation to ensure the sustainability of olive groves and their economic viability.

ACS Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús M. Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. Ecological and Economic Sustainability in Olive Groves with Different Irrigation Management and Levels of Erosion: A Case Study. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4681 .

AMA Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa, Jesús M. Barandica, Alejandro Rescia. Ecological and Economic Sustainability in Olive Groves with Different Irrigation Management and Levels of Erosion: A Case Study. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (17):4681.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Alberto Rodríguez Sousa; Jesús M. Barandica; Alejandro Rescia. 2019. "Ecological and Economic Sustainability in Olive Groves with Different Irrigation Management and Levels of Erosion: A Case Study." Sustainability 11, no. 17: 4681.

Journal article
Published: 31 May 2019 in Sustainability
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The search for a balance between nature conservation and sustainable development remains a scientific and spatial planning challenge. In social-ecological systems based on traditional rural activities and associated with protected areas, this balance is particularly complex. Quantifying the economic impact of land use changes on ecosystem services can be useful to advise policy makers and improving social-ecological sustainability. In this study, we evaluated the land use changes in a time series and estimated the monetary value of the ecosystem services of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain). In addition, we linked the monetary and biophysical values of land uses in each zoning units of the reserve, in order to identify the spatial adjustment between both assessments. Results showed that land use changes have clearly homogenized the landscape without substantially affecting its economic value. The methodological approach allowed detection that the reserve zoning was performed based more on its biophysical values than on economic ones. Thus, evident divergences between the biophysical and economic assessments were found. The core area was the one that had the highest coincidences (medium values) between both ecosystem services assessments, which highlights its importance not only in biophysical terms, is also economical. The procedure followed proved to be a useful tool to social-ecological planning and design of specific conservation strategies for the sustainable development of the area.

ACS Style

Nekane Castillo-Eguskitza; María F. Schmitz; Miren Onaindia; Alejandro J. Rescia. Linking Biophysical and Economic Assessments of Ecosystem Services for a Social–Ecological Approach to Conservation Planning: Application in a Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain). Sustainability 2019, 11, 3092 .

AMA Style

Nekane Castillo-Eguskitza, María F. Schmitz, Miren Onaindia, Alejandro J. Rescia. Linking Biophysical and Economic Assessments of Ecosystem Services for a Social–Ecological Approach to Conservation Planning: Application in a Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain). Sustainability. 2019; 11 (11):3092.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nekane Castillo-Eguskitza; María F. Schmitz; Miren Onaindia; Alejandro J. Rescia. 2019. "Linking Biophysical and Economic Assessments of Ecosystem Services for a Social–Ecological Approach to Conservation Planning: Application in a Biosphere Reserve (Biscay, Spain)." Sustainability 11, no. 11: 3092.

Journal article
Published: 27 July 2018 in Sustainability
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Traditional agricultural systems and their spatial context constitute socio-ecological landscapes for their long co-evolutionary history. However, these systems not only generate positive but also negative agri-environmental externalities, such as soil erosion, diffuse pollution and potential wild biodiversity degradation. In this paper, we present a methodological approach for developing and testing indicators to estimate the effects of these externalities, especially designed to be used to help guide land-use policy changes. Our results show that the indicators proposed can recognize the different environmental situations posed by the three selected study areas, in terms of potential erosion and diffuse pollution, as well as in the actual agri-environmental externalities assessment. As expected, they also respond to the changes in land use and management introduced by two scenarios, ecological and productive. Although the erosion and diffuse pollution indicators showed a linear response, the diversity indicator showed a non-linear response, which highlights the importance of the spatial structure of landscape in agri-environmental assessment. In fact, several ecological processes can be affected by landscape spatial structure, potentially giving unexpected results both in terms of indicators and of real impact of agri-environmental externalities. Therefore, some landscape structure assessment should accompany that of externalities when considering land-use policy objectives.

ACS Style

Antonio Lopez-Pintor; Javier Sanz-Cañada; Ernesto Salas; Alejandro Rescia. Assessment of Agri-Environmental Externalities in Spanish Socio-Ecological Landscapes of Olive Groves. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2640 .

AMA Style

Antonio Lopez-Pintor, Javier Sanz-Cañada, Ernesto Salas, Alejandro Rescia. Assessment of Agri-Environmental Externalities in Spanish Socio-Ecological Landscapes of Olive Groves. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (8):2640.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Antonio Lopez-Pintor; Javier Sanz-Cañada; Ernesto Salas; Alejandro Rescia. 2018. "Assessment of Agri-Environmental Externalities in Spanish Socio-Ecological Landscapes of Olive Groves." Sustainability 10, no. 8: 2640.

Journal article
Published: 30 October 2010 in Landscape and Urban Planning
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In the last decades, changes in land use and management have led to the degradation of many cultural landscapes in European rural areas. Such degradation has had relevant consequences for local populations, landscape functionality, and the maintenance of ecosystem services. Many of these cultural rural landscapes are linked to Nature Reserves, therefore having an increase in conservation interest. We analysed and compared the landscape changes of two Nature Reserves in Spain, ‘Sierra Norte de Sevilla’ Natural Park (SNSNP) and ‘Urdaibai’ Biosphere Reserve (UBR) over the last 50 years. Results showed that the SNSNP landscape has undergone little spatial changes over time while UBR has suffered significant transformations. We have also assessed how these landscape changes are related to the loss of resilience observed in both Nature Reserves. In SNSNP, resilience degradation is mainly due to socioeconomic changes. The low profitability of current land use has accentuated rural migration, increasing local population aging and reducing social opportunities. This fact has significantly decreased the capacity of the system to cope with changes. In UBR, landscape changes have degraded the ecological resilience of the system. The homogenization of the landscape has increased the vulnerability of UBR to the spread of disturbance, resulting in a loss of land use diversity. We suggest that effective management of cultural landscapes, understood as social–ecological systems, should integrate both, the social and ecological components. This management should be adaptive and involve the active participation of local population. Sustainable tourism and hunting are emerging as challenging alternatives.

ACS Style

Alejandro J. Rescia; Barbara Anna Willaarts; María Schmitz; Pedro Aguilera Aguilera. Changes in land uses and management in two Nature Reserves in Spain: Evaluating the social–ecological resilience of cultural landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning 2010, 98, 26 -35.

AMA Style

Alejandro J. Rescia, Barbara Anna Willaarts, María Schmitz, Pedro Aguilera Aguilera. Changes in land uses and management in two Nature Reserves in Spain: Evaluating the social–ecological resilience of cultural landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2010; 98 (1):26-35.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alejandro J. Rescia; Barbara Anna Willaarts; María Schmitz; Pedro Aguilera Aguilera. 2010. "Changes in land uses and management in two Nature Reserves in Spain: Evaluating the social–ecological resilience of cultural landscapes." Landscape and Urban Planning 98, no. 1: 26-35.