Abstract
The University Miguel Hernández of Elche was created in 1996 and its headquarters is located in the city of Elche. A new campus was developed where new buildings and infrastructures have been established for over 25 years in the north of the city. The university is growing, and the land cover/land use is changing, adapted to the new infrastructures. In fact, the landscape changed from a periurban agricultural area mixed with other activities into an urbanized area integrated into the city. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the progressive sealing of the soil and the consequences on the surface hydrology. The area is close to the Palmeral of Elche, a landscape of date palm groves with an ancient irrigation system, which is a World Heritage Cultural Landscape recognized by UNESCO. The evolution of the land occupation was analyzed based on the Aerial National Orthophotography Plan (PNOA). Soil sealing and the modifications of the hydrological ancient irrigation system were detected. Based on the results, proposals for improvement are made in order to implement green infrastructures and landscape recovery that can alleviate the possible negative effects of the soil sealing in the area occupied by the university.
Highlights
Soil formation is considered a very slow process that results in a complex and dynamic system with continuously changing properties [1]
Soil sealing is considered a parameter for measuring environmental quality, ecological footprint, and urban sustainability [73,74], so universities are faced with a planning challenge where land recycling and the integration of ecology into the design of new settlements in line with the Sustainable Development Goals will play key roles in limiting land consumption
By using geographical information systems and remote sensing tools in combination with the Soil Conservation Service (SCS)-CN runoff method, this study investigated spatiotemporal land changes and estimated the surface runoff generated under three development scenarios of the university campus of Elche
Summary
Soil formation is considered a very slow process that results in a complex and dynamic system with continuously changing properties [1]. Land changes reflect socioeconomic development and political decisions across time, becoming a relevant factor in understanding the dynamics of the relation between soil functions and land use/land cover (LULC). Land degradation implies a progressive loss of soil functionality that diminishes its capacity to provide goods and services, including biological, hydrological, social, and economic services [13]. In this context, soil sealing is the most intense form of land-take or land con-
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