<i>THE ROLE OF THYME (THYMUS VULGARIS) SHRUBS IN THE PROTECTION OF SOIL EROSION</i>

Authors

  • Miguel A. Casermeiro
  • María Teresa de la Cruz Caravaca
  • Juan Hernando Costa
  • María Isabel Hernando-Massanet
  • J. A. Molina Abril
  • Purificación Sánchez
Keywords: thyme bushes, soil erosion, rainfall tests

Abstract

The role of Thymus vulgaris formations in the control of erosion problem, in the arroyo de la Vega basin, is the main objectives of this paper. The main representative soil units are: fluvisols, calcisols, regosols, leptosols, gypsisols and cambisols, all developed from miocenic materials. This area is catalogued by local authorities (Comunidad de Madrid), as Significative Erosion Area because there exist an active process of soil erosion. Six plot has been selected according to their environmental and spatial representative and slope degree. In each plot the following data were achieved: abundance/dominant index of every vegetal community, plant cover, number of species, number of individuals of each specie and biomass. In order to evaluate the behaviour of soil against erosion the following features were studied: texture, pH, electrical conductivity, water storage capacity, porosity, density, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, equivalent calcium carbonate and calcium carbonate extractable in ammonia oxalate. Rainfall test were performed in each plot using a portable rainfall simulator; runoff and sediment yield-out data were obtained. Plots with low biomass show a high runoff and soil losses mean while plots with a high biomass, vegetal diversity and high value of surface stoniness show lower values of runoff and sediment yield-out.

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Author Biographies

Miguel A. Casermeiro

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

María Teresa de la Cruz Caravaca

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Juan Hernando Costa

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

María Isabel Hernando-Massanet

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

J. A. Molina Abril

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Purificación Sánchez

Universidad Complutense de Madrid
How to Cite
Casermeiro, M. A., Caravaca, M. T. de la C., Hernando Costa, J., Hernando-Massanet, M. I., Molina Abril, J. A., & Sánchez, P. (2002). <i>THE ROLE OF THYME (THYMUS VULGARIS) SHRUBS IN THE PROTECTION OF SOIL EROSION</i>. Anales de Biología, (24), 81–87. Retrieved from https://revistas.um.es/analesbio/article/view/31391
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