Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Otto, Rüdiger; Krüsi, Bertil; Kienast, F.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands)
Authors:	Otto, Rüdiger Krüsi, Bertil Kienast, F.
DOI:	10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001
Published in:	Journal of Arid Environments
Volume(Issue):	70
Issue:	3
Page(s):	527
Pages to:	539
Issue Date:	2007
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0140-1963
Language:	English
Subjects:	Coastal scrub; Canary Islands; Nature conservation; Land use change
Subject (DDC):	333.7: Land, natural recreational areas
Abstract:	The results of the first study of land use changes between 1964 and 1992 in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands) are presented and discussed in relation to the general socio-economic processes and the current nature conservation policy. The analysis of five main land use types with a geographic information system (GIS) revealed that the arid coastal landscape has been dramatically transformed during the past decades due to the increase of mass tourism and the intensification of agriculture, resulting in a large-scale destruction of the coastal scrub, the natural, endemic-rich vegetation. Between 1964 and 1992, the area occupied by irrigated crops increased strongly due to the transition from tomato to banana production. During the same period of time, the amount of abandoned farmland as well as the area used for housing and infrastructure increased markedly, the latter by more than 20 times. In nature reserves, most of the natural vegetation has survived but only in a degraded state, mainly due to recreation activities and illegal waste dumping. In unprotected areas, by contrast, 60% of the natural vegetation was lost between 1964 and 1992, and 86% of the native vegetation of recent lava flows. The results show that the current practice of protecting comparatively small natural areas is not sufficient to stop the massive destruction of natural vegetation. Surprisingly and disturbingly, there is evidence, that a substantial part (40%) of these losses could easily have been avoided by better environmental planning.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/7282
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

Files in This Item:

There are no files associated with this item.

Show full item record

Otto, R., Krüsi, B., & Kienast, F. (2007). Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands). Journal of Arid Environments, 70(3), 527–539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001

Otto, R., Krüsi, B. and Kienast, F. (2007) ‘Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands)’, Journal of Arid Environments, 70(3), pp. 527–539. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001.

R. Otto, B. Krüsi, and F. Kienast, “Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands),” Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 70, no. 3, pp. 527–539, 2007, doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001.

OTTO, Rüdiger, Bertil KRÜSI und F. KIENAST, 2007. Degradation of an arid coastal landscape in relation to land use changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands). Journal of Arid Environments. 2007. Bd. 70, Nr. 3, S. 527–539. DOI 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001

Otto, Rüdiger, Bertil Krüsi, and F. Kienast. 2007. “Degradation of an Arid Coastal Landscape in Relation to Land Use Changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands).” Journal of Arid Environments 70 (3): 527–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001.

Otto, Rüdiger, et al. “Degradation of an Arid Coastal Landscape in Relation to Land Use Changes in Southern Tenerife (Canary Islands).” Journal of Arid Environments, vol. 70, no. 3, 2007, pp. 527–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.02.001.