Arribes Del Duero Research Articles

Residents’ Perceived Benefits as Determinants of Sustainable Tourism Development

ABSTRACT This study explores how the benefits residents perceive influence their support for tourism and sustainable practices in nature-based tourism. It highlights the importance of community involvement and local support in achieving sustainable tourism. The study uses Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. The research is conducted in Arribes del Duero Natural Park, a protected natural area spanning Spain and Portugal. Data were collected through an online survey with convenience sampling, resulting in 401 usable questionnaires. The findings demonstrate that community involvement has a positive and significant influence on perceived benefits, support for tourism, and sustainable market-oriented approaches. Perceived benefits also positively and significantly impact support for tourism and sustainable market-oriented approaches. Furthermore, support for tourism is found to have a positive and significant influence on sustainability.

Landscape Analysis of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain): Cartography of Quality and Fragility

The landscape is a resource to be considered in the planning and sustainable management of the territory of natural spaces, such as the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. It is conditioned by environmental factors. They are highly influential on the quality of life of the people who live there. A historical analysis of the landscape was carried out with a qualitative and partially subjective character. In this work, we took advantage of current technologies, such as GIS techniques, to objectively and quantitatively calculate the variables. Firstly, it was necessary to draw up a map of landscape units, which is derived from the union of the abiotic (geomorphology and lithology) and biotic (vegetation) components in the background. Twelve homogeneous landscape units were identified by analyzing the quality and perceptual fragility of each one and considering intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The results obtained showed that the landscape quality presents areas with very high values in the fluvial canyon of the Duero river. The lowest values were found in very degraded and vegetated polygenic areas. On the other hand, the most fragile areas were those with some vulnerable character that prevents the development of human activities, such as areas with steep slopes. The procedure and results obtained constitute a useful tool for public administrations to carry out sustainable management of natural areas.

Geospatial Characterisation of Gravitational and Erosion Risks to Establish Conservation Practices in Vineyards in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain)

Landslide movements and soil loss due to erosion have increased dramatically, causing numerous human and economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary to delimit these risks in order to prevent and mitigate the effects in natural parks of great value, as is the case of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. As for landslide movements, they are evaluated by estimating the susceptibility to their occurrence, taking into account the different thematic layers: lithology, geomorphology (slopes, curvature, orientations), hydrogeology and vegetation, weighting each of them using the analytical hierarchy method. Then, by means of map algebra, the cartography of susceptibility to landslides is obtained. On the other hand, the RUSLE equation was used to calculate erosive losses. The results of the gravitational susceptibility are grouped into five classes: very high, high, medium, low and very low, so that the first corresponds to areas of high slope, without vegetation, south facing, with a lithology of quartzites, metapelites and gneisses (canyons, sloping valleys) and, on the contrary, the sectors of lower susceptibility coincide with flat areas, more density of vegetation, north facing, with conglomerates, cobbles, sands and clays, corresponding to erosion surfaces or valley bottoms. In terms of erosion results, the greatest losses are found in areas of steep slopes, with little or no vegetation and with poorly developed soils. Finally, taking into account the cartography of landslide risk, the cartography of potential water erosion and land use, it is possible to determine which conservation practices should be carried out, as well as the land uses that are less susceptible to these movements, highlighting in our study the importance of vineyards in their control.

Characterisation of the Susceptibility to Slope Movements in the Arribes Del Duero Natural Park (Spain)

In recent decades, natural disasters have increased drastically, with slope movements being the most damaging geological hazard, causing thousands of deaths and considerable economic losses. To reduce these losses, it is necessary to carry out cartographies that spatially delimit these risks, preventing and mitigating the effects through the analysis of susceptibility in areas of great environmental value, as is the case of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. For this purpose, different statistical methods combined with Geographic Information Systems have been developed. The susceptibility assessment methodology is carried out by integrating different thematic layers: lithology, geomorphology (slopes, curvature, aspect), hydrogeology and vegetation, performing map algebra and taking into consideration their weighting using deterministic methods (analytical hierarchy method). The susceptibility results are grouped into Very High, High, Medium, Low and Very Low so that the areas of Very High susceptibility correspond to areas of the high slope, without vegetation, south facing, with a lithology of quartzites, metapelites, and gneisses (canyons, steep valleys) and, in the case of very low susceptibility, with a lithology of quartzites, metapelites, and gneisses, On the contrary, the sectors of lower susceptibility coincide with flat areas, denser vegetation, north facing, with a lithology of conglomerates, pebbles, sands and clays, such as erosion surfaces or valley bottoms. The analysis carried out in this current investigation will allow the territorial delimitation of problem areas and the establishment of risk mitigation and management measures.

Natural Hazard Characterisation in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain)

Natural disasters have been significantly affecting the natural and artificial environment for decades. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out adequate territorial planning in order to predict and mitigate possible natural risks in areas of great environmental value and interest, which is the case of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. In order to achieve this, geotechnical mapping should be carried out followed by hazard mapping, taking into account the lithological, hydrogeological and geomorphological characteristics and, in addition, the real erosion rates. The results indicate that, in the study area, there are three areas with different geotechnical characteristics, classified according to their lithological, geomorphological and hydrological characteristics. In terms of hazards, there are five zones: with hydrological problems; lithological and geomorphological problems; geomorphological and hydrological problems; geomorphological and lithological problems; and geotechnical problems. Finally, it can be concluded that geotechnical mapping enables us to delimit areas of recommendations and limitations of use in terms of construction activities which, together with natural hazard mapping, will be very useful in the preparation of risk mapping for land-use planning.

Water Erosion Risk Analysis in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain) Using RUSLE and GIS Techniques

Nowadays, soil erosion is a global problem of great environmental and social concern, affecting natural resources, natural spaces and agricultural production. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an erosion risk analysis to estimate the amount of soil lost, as well as to establish possible conservation practices to mitigate this loss. One way of doing this is through the integration of empirical equations such as RUSLE and GIS techniques, giving rise to a mapping of potential and actual erosion, considering the factors that make up this equation. The results obtained indicate that the areas with extreme erosion levels in Arribes del Duero, that is, with the greatest losses (greater than 200 Tm/ha/year), correspond to areas with steep slopes, poorly developed soils such as Leptosols and Regosols and vegetation with little or no vegetation cover. On the other hand, areas with stable levels of erosion (up to 10 Tm/ha/year) are found in flat areas, with more developed soils, such as Alisols and Luvisols, and vegetation with a higher density and herbaceous cover. Finally, it is concluded that the integration of GIS techniques with parametric equations constitutes a simple and economic tool for estimating these losses and, together with land use, allows different mitigation measures to be established, which, in our study area, focus on reducing the length and gradient of the slope, such as contour cultivation, construction of terraces and “bancales”.

Geological Heritage in the “Arribes del Duero” Natural Park (Western, Spain): A Case Study of Introducing Educational Information via Augmented Reality and 3D Virtual Itineraries

The concept of geological heritage has been introduced into the protected area of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, which is west of the Salamanca and Zamora Provinces, Spain for the purpose of developing a guide to places of geological and geomorphological interest, through which geoenvironmental itineraries were developed in order to demonstrate to both the students and tourists, the geological context of the events in the geological history of this natural park. Twelve of the most geologically representative geosites were assessed using 18 quantitative parameters dealing with the scientific, didactic and cultural-tourist interest of each site. The objective of this paper is to describe and analyze the points of interest that are of geoheritage significance and to develop of an inventory that will ultimately facilitate geoconservation and the dissemination of information through educational virtual itineraries that reveal the known geological history of an area. A 3D virtual geological route was created in Google Earth for educational use with superimposed georeferenced cartographies, together with a field guide and an app. The virtual route allows the participants to follow the geological events and the natural history of the park using digital devices in real time with the possibility of observing the relief, the geology and having access to the informative files describing each geosite. Using a field guide, each geosite is complemented with activities, and the participants have the option to evaluate what has been learned. An app makes the itinerary more interactive. These georesources allow a teaching–learning process where the student is an active part of the development and creation of the contents using technologies that provide an entertaining and didactic learning experience, and this involves working as a team and interacting with social networks, thus, potentially influencing the attitudes and skills development that are involved in geoconservation as an element for its sustainable development. The identification of geological heritage currently constitutes a great resource to promote the sustainable development of it and employment in very depopulated rural areas.

Plant Conservation vs. Folk Traditions: The Case of Ophrys scolopax Cav. (Orchidaceae) in Central Western Spain.

In central western Spain, the bee orchid Ophrys scolopax Cav. is limited to a few localities of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park, reaching the municipality of Villarino de los Aires (Salamanca) to the north. Due to its restricted distribution, this plant is hardly known in this territory, with the exception of this village, where it is very popular. Although most of its inhabitants are unaware of various aspects of the biology of this orchid, for example its pollination strategy, the place where the only local population grows is well-known: the Teso de San Cristóbal ("St. Christopher's Hill"), a place of ancient pagan rituals Christianised through the construction of a hermitage. The villagers also know that its flowering period coincides with the Easter celebration, and they have traditionally looked for and collected it there during Easter Monday. This ritual has evolved over time based on the needs and interests of the community. From a religious celebration aimed at blessing the fields, it became a game among young men to obtain prestige within the community, and from the end of the 20th century to the present, it has become a festival to revitalise cultural identity. In this article, we analyse how the aforementioned traditional practices affected this orchid species in the recent past, and we describe the educational actions (conferences, workshops, courses, etc.) carried out during the last ten years so that, while maintaining the cultural practices of the village, its population should be respected and conserved at the same time.

Geomorphoedaphic Itinerary of Arribes Del Duero (Spain)

In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the Geological Heritage, its evaluation, protection and promotion. The Geomorphological Heritage also interests the scientific community, especially those sectors of great scientific relevance that are characterized by its reliefs. For its part, the soil study provides information about the genesis of the soils and places them as a non-renewable natural resource and highlights the importance of its conservation for future generations. The methodology followed consisted in the valuation of the geological heritage, identifying different places and taking into account the geomorphological and pedological interests, presenting the latter, an innovative character. In this way, a “Geomorphoedaphic” itinerary of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park has been made. This is one of the first steps to its inclusion as a Geopark.

A Diachronic Analysis of a Changing Landscape on the Duero River Borderlands of Spain and Portugal Combining Remote Sensing and Ethnographic Approaches

The Arribes del Duero region spans the border of both Spain and Portugal along the Duero River. On both sides of the border, the region boasts unique human-influenced ecosystems. The borderland landscape is dotted with numerous villages that have a history of maintaining and managing an agrosilvopastoral use of the land. Unfortunately, the region in recent decades has suffered from massive outmigration, resulting in significant rural abandonment. Consequently, the once-maintained landscape is evolving into a more homogenous vegetative one, resulting in a greater propensity for wildfires. This study utilizes an interdisciplinary, integrated approach of “bottom up” ethnography and “top down” remote sensing data from Landsat imagery, to characterize and document the diachronic vegetative changes on the landscape, as they are perceived by stakeholders and satellite spectral analysis. In both countries, stakeholders perceived the current changes and threats facing the landscape. Remote sensing analysis revealed an increase in forest cover throughout the region, and more advanced, drastic change on the Spanish side of the study area marked by wildfire and a rapidly declining population. Understanding the evolution and history of this rural landscape can provide more effective management and its sustainability.

Geotourism Itineraries and Augmented Reality in the Geomorphosites of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Zamora Sector, Spain)

The geomorphosites of the Zamora sector of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park are presented and put forward as the basis for a geotourism proposal using augmented reality. The aim, on the one hand, is to make a valuable, natural heritage more widely known in an attractive, educational manner, and, on the other, to contribute to the sustainable development of a socio-economically depressed rural area by preserving this legacy. The methodology consists of a combination of field work, geomorphological analysis with attention to scientific, cultural, and management criteria, and the development of augmented reality resources. The result is the design of a geotourism itinerary through nine geomorphosites of granite structural forms. The georoute covers 46 km by road and 11 km along footpaths where the visit is equipped with various augmented reality materials. We show the potential of this tool for arousing the interest of visitors and providing enjoyment, learning, and interactive participation.

Geomorfología de los Arribes del Duero zamoranos

Se analizan las formas del relieve de los Arribes del Duero zamoranos, en concreto, de un sector de la comarca del Bajo Sayago situado entre el embalse de Miranda de Douro, al Norte, y la localidad de Pinilla de Fermoselle, al Sur. A través del trabajo de campo y de la fotointerpretación de imágenes aéreas se ha realizado una cartografía geomorfológica de detalle a escala 1:25.000, así como un estudio pormenorizado de las formas estructurales y de modelado que caracterizan esta zona de la penillanura zamorana. En concreto, se detallan los tres niveles de superficies de erosión y los cuatro tipos de relieve residuales, esto es, de montes-isla o inselbergs que se han identificado en la penillanura, al tiempo que se explican pormenorizadamente las formas del berrocal, las formas fluviales y el origen de la garganta del Duero.

Plants traditionally used for industrial and artisanal purposes in the Arribes del Duero (Spain)

Gonzalez, J.A. & Amich, F. 2015. Plants traditionally used for industrial and artisanal purposes in the Arribes del Duero (Spain). Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 72(2): e025. The present ethnobotanical study, performed between 2005 and 2009 at the Natural Park of the Arribes del Duero (Salamanca-Zamora, Spain), documents the traditional use for technological purposes of 68 vascular plants belonging to 33 families. We interviewed 80 people of different ages native to the zone (mean 72). For each plant species we provide the vernacular terms, the parts used, and the uses made of them ( fur niture, the elaboration of household utensils, plant fibres, etc.). The species most frequently cited were Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp., Q. pyrenaica Willd., Ulmus minor Mill. and Olea europaea L. The results of this study confirm the persistence of a rich traditional knowledge in Spanish rural communities; a type of knowledge that affords abundant data for improving and adapting modern production activities to a sustainable model of development, above all as regards the rational consumption of raw materials.

2D to 3D geologic mapping transformation using virtual globes and flight simulators and their applications in the analysis of geodiversity in natural areas

This work describes the transformation process from 2D cartography to 3D, simply by overlapping images in common formats (jpeg, bmp, tiff, png, etc.) on Google Earth’s virtual globe. Arribes del Duero Natural Park, located west of the province of Salamanca, Spain, was the object of this part of the study. Other natural areas are also discussed and were used to establish a procedure for mapping geodiversity and for identifying areas of geological uniqueness and naturalness within the natural areas. To do this, different parametric indices were used to empirically generate different degrees of geological diversity in the Quilamas Natural Area, located south of Salamanca, Spain. Intermediate parametric maps were processed using two types of GIS technical: graphical (neighbourhood operations) and alphanumeric (calculated from the fields in the attribute table). Intermediate parametric maps were processed using two types of technical GIS: neighbourhood operations (graphics) and alphanumeric (calculated from the fields in the attribute table). These maps were used to establish areas with the greatest concentration of geological diversity elements and to define areas with a greater need for protection when planning the management of human activities in natural areas. Finally, the flight simulator tool, which was implemented in the free virtual globe and controlled using a keyboard or joystick, allows you to “fly” through the projected geological mapping of Arribes Del Duero Natural Park or view the parametric mapping and geodiversity in the newly created Quilamas Natural Area. Interoperability with the Google Maps application allows you to identify and observe the outcrops of the various geological materials in natural or anthropic terrain cuts.

Notes on rare and threatened flora in western-central Iberia

Here we provide new records for the Natural Park of Las Arribes del Duero (Salamanca-Zamora) regarding six rare and endangered plants in western central Iberia. We also discuss different aspects from the point of view of conservation and the current status of new populations.

Wildfires: its influence on the diversity parameters of predatory-insect communities in a Mediterranean agroecosystem of European interest

A “space-for-time substitution” was used to analyse how the communities of Spheciformes wasps varied in different diversity parameters for a period of 15 years after a summer wildfire in a Mediterranean agroecosystem (Arribes del Duero, western Spain), employing Malaise traps and yellow pan traps to sample the communities. Both the habitat and the particular environmental conditions marking the interannual population variations in Spheciformes communities exert an important influence on the resultant assemblage, although the time after the wildfire was the most important factor in the recovery of species H′ diversity and evenness after the disturbance. Fire caused a drop of diversity and evenness values. Nevertheless, evenness recovered continuously, while H′ diversity continued to decrease until experiencing a recovery as from the fourth-fifth year post-fire. The effect of the time after the wildfire on abundance (N) or richness (S) values was not significant.

Ethnobotanical Resources Management in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Central Western Iberian Peninsula): Relationships between Plant Use and Plant Diversity, Ecological Analysis, and Conservation

We analyze the floristic and ecological diversity of plants traditionally used in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Central Western Spain, Iberian Peninsula). We identified all plant species used by the local people and classified them in 10 general use-categories. All the ethnobotanical data used derive from global ethnobotanical research carried out from 2005 to 2009. The results are analyzed with respect to the total flora of the area and to the ecological diversity of the species in their habitats. The conservation and management of these taxa are also analyzed. We discuss the implications of their harvesting for the development and conservation of their natural populations and habitats.

Shrub encroachment shifts the bioclimatic limit between marcescent and sclerophyllous oaks along an elevation gradient in west‐central Spain

AbstractQuestions(1) Does shrub encroachment affect the regeneration of two contrasting species of oak along an elevation gradient in the west‐central Iberian Peninsula? (2) Do different nurse shrubs have any relevant species‐specific effects along the gradient? (3) Does shrub encroachment affect the location of the bioclimatic limit between these two oak species along the elevation gradient?LocationTwelve sites distributed from the Arribes del Duero plains to the Sistema Central mountains (Salamanca province, Spain).MethodsWe measured the regeneration of two contrasting oak tree species (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota Samp – sclerophyllous, Q. pyrenaica Willd – marcescent) as the relative percentage cover of seedlings and saplings (<1.3‐m high) in plots 10 m in diameter distributed in stands of different age. We fixed the bioclimatic limit at 50% relative proportion of species in each plot, i.e. whether one species was more abundant than the other in a plot. Shrub stand age was estimated by counting growth rings in the principal stems of the oldest shrubs in a plot. We fitted generalized linear mixed models to analyse the effects of elevation, specific nurse shrub and shrub stand age on regeneration and the probability of one species being more abundant than the other.ResultsThe regeneration and relative proportion of Q. ilex (sclerophyllous) decreased with elevation. Regeneration did not vary with shrub encroachment, although the relative proportion increased notably in the youngest stands. In turn, regeneration and relative proportion of Q. pyrenaica (deciduous) significantly increased towards the upper sites and mature shrub stands. We found no evidence of specific nurse shrub effects on regeneration or the probability of one species being more abundant than the other in either of the two species of oak.ConclusionsThe bioclimatic limit between the two contrasting species of oak shifted with shrub stand age along the elevation gradient. Land practices preventing shrub encroachment can thus indirectly shift this limit towards higher elevations. The effects of shrubs may be critical in resolving the climatic and land‐use effects on elevation shifts of species under changing conditions in bioclimatic transitions.

Plants used in folk cosmetics and hygiene in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (western Spain).

In the present work we assess and document the ethnobotanical knowledge about cosmetic plants and plant species useful for personal and domestic hygiene in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (provinces of Salamanca and Zamora, Spain). Field work was conducted between 2005 and 2009 by means semi-structured interviews and participant observation as well as transect walks in wild herbal plant collection areas, with 80 informants (mean age 72) in 18 localities. The informants, in particular the elderly women, are familiar with 32 useful plants distributed in 18 botanical families and know how to use them in a variety of ways. The most frequently used plants were Thymus mastichina (L.) L. and Quercus ilex subsp. ballota (Desf.) Samp. Different plant parts are used, but the branches are exploited more frequently. The uses documented are of great ecological value since the products obtained are less harmful to our health and the environment.

Plant Remedies against Witches and the Evil Eye in a Spanish “Witches’ Village”

Plant Remedies against Witches and the Evil Eye in a Spanish “Witches’ Village.” An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to understand the traditional knowledge and current use of different preventive and curative plant remedies against witches and the evil eye in a Spanish rural community (Villarino de los Aires, Salamanca). Located in a Spanish region known as “Arribes del Duero,” this locality has historically been considered an important “witches’ village.” An anonymous questionnaire was answered by 52 people living in the village. The cultural importance index (CI) of each species was calculated. To analyze how knowledge varies as a function of the socio-demographic characteristics of the different informants, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed, taking as variable to model the use-reports provided, and as explanatory variables the age, gender, and educational status. Age was the only variable that explained the variety in the number of plant remedies known; people over 60 knew significantly more plant remedies. Fifteen vascular plants were mentioned. The preventive remedies were particularly associated with key moments of the religious calendar. Branches gathered from olive trees, laurel, and/or rosemary are blessed on Palm Sunday, and then placed on window sills to protect people’s homes. During the celebration of Saint John’s Bonfire, aromatic plants are burnt, and the purifying and protecting power of the smoke emerges. The traditional use of plants hung behind doors of houses and stables to repel witches, and rituals for curing evil eye affecting people, animals, or even possessions were also revealed. Even today in rural communities of western Spain, there is a clear connection between popular religious and magic beliefs and their relationship with nature, especially plants.