Erosión y desertificación.-Diseño instrumental para el estudio de los procesos de erosión hídrica a distintas escalas en la cuenca alta del “Barranc del Carraixet”

Abstract

ABSTRACT As a result of the rainfall conversion into overland flow, two major fluxes are established, the water flow and the associated erosion flow. The process complexity and heterogeneity together with the numerous factors that interact recommend the use of multi-scale approaches for a better understanding. Thus the methodological approach established in this work focus on a hierarchical instrumental implementation at different spatial scales within the same watershed, the Barranc the Carraixet Head Waters, in the vicinity of the city of Valencia, Spain. For the instrumental setting up, four data gathering structures have been designed, from the micro plot scale to the medium size drainage basin of several square kilometres. Assuming that overland flow generation is dependent (other than rainfall intensity and duration) on the drainage area characteristics (total area, topography, vegetation, soil, etc.), the aim of the setting up is the understanding of the water and erosion flows behaviour at distinct spatial scales in Mediterranean environments.