Terrace abandonment in the Ceta Valley, alicante province, Spain

Land abandonment is a phenomenon that has been taking place during the 20(th) century in many parts of the Mediterranean. Many researchers and professionals have been studying the environmental impact of the changes on the landscape, including possible land degradation and erosion. The reasons for abandonment of terraced land are not only biophysical (Such as low productivity areas or dry climate) but also are directly related to the latter socio-economic changes in Europe.In Alicante province, recent population data indicate a continuing exodus of people from the mountainous areas and often show reduced employment in the agricultural sector. Because of these changes, new landscapes are being produced and new threats to environmental stability are appearing. This case study looks at the pattern of terrace abandonment in a traditional mountainous landscape, near Alicante (in southern Spain), and assesses the potential of aerial photos to identify land abandonment. Aerial Photograph Interpretation (API) was complemented by an analysis of sixteen field surveys, a processing of informal interviews, a statistical data analysis, a digital mapping and a study of the socio-economic evolution of the valley.