Factores que influyen en la colonización vegetal y la revegetación de taludes de carreteras en ambiente mediterráneo.

by Tormo Blanes, Jaume

ABSTRACT Nowadays road building produces huge ecosystem alterations. Slopes produced in road building are unvegetated. In arid or semiarid mediterranean habitats revegetation after road building became a dificult task due to diverse factors. Those factors related with road slopes and with species used in revegetation.We studied the relative importance of factors influencing vegetal colonization and revegetation success in road slopes. Main limitation to colonization in altered ecosystems is lack of seeds, but sowing is not guarantee of colonization. So other factors are influencing colonization and revegetation. We studied slope aspect, soil properties, hydric stress, sowing method and factors related with species coexistence.We proposed a species selection protocol top choose suitable species for revegetation purposes in semiarid areas. Because species used normally are not adapted to mediterranean climate and road embankment conditions.ConclusionsLack of seeds is an important factor in limiting road slopes colonization. But other factors hinder road slope colonization and revegetation. Soil properties, hydric stress, and factors related with species coexistence determine natural colonization and revegetacion success.Topsoil application and/or amendments in hydroseeding improves greatly revegetation success, because improves soil properties.Species selection protocol is suitable for choose species for revegetation works. Selected species produced higher vegetal covers than species used normally.