EGEMAP - Terra Lab UGR

Terra Lab UGR

Group 2. EGEMAP (Environmental Geography and Mapping) and research topic: Land degradation and regional geography

Our research lines are

Landscape, sustainability and environmental degradation.

Geographic Information Technologies (GITs).

Soil-water-plant relationships and climate.

The Terra Lab UGR is the laboratory of the Department of Regional Geographic Analysis and Physical Geography, and the EGEMAP group constitutes a group of people and space that allows covering research projects and teaching innovation.

The main purpose is to support all the possible research topics of the department and groups that work on the analysis of the territory, the biophysical environment and the landscape. These are two functional spaces with lines of work closely related to the projects carried out and in force.

The EGEMAP or Environmental Geography and Mapping and research topics try to assess and explain the main aspects of the territory that show interactions between individuals and/or human societies with their natural environment.

CURRENT TOPICS

TOPIC 1: Geography of Viticulture

Land Degradation in VINEYARDS should be a big concern for humankind. For this reason, we are trying to assess a long-term Multidisciplinary Approach aimed to reduce it.

VINEYARDS are one of the most vulnerable landscapes of the world because of the misuse and abuse of soil resources, which result in their complete loss of functionality. However, this is impossible to be achieved without:

  1. Designing applied research from the pedon to the regional scale.
  2. Considering the opinion of the stakeholders.
  3. We are facing issues associated with ecosystem services or production quality and opportunities and barriers to adopting sustainable soil management practices.

TOPIC 2: Forest fire

Forest fire is a big concern for humankind and natural ecosystems. In our lab, we are trying to establish the bases for the realization studies of changes in soil properties, especially hydric and biological, in soils subjected to different uses, in the recently burned and adjoining areas, for example, in the province of Granada (e.g. Guájares). This objective, in turn, is intended to be the starting point for the request for larger projects, which allows for complementing previous lines of research developed by the team.

  1. Scientific objectives: Characterization of key properties in the soil-water relationship.
  2. Assessing the influence of fire on the water and carbon balance for planning restoration strategies.

TOPIC 3: Soil degradation in vulnerable lands

Soil erosion defeats the topsoil fertile layers and affects food security. In our lab, we design experimental plots, BEPs (Baetic Experimental Plots) to completely describe and monitor processes for future publications, and projects to be requested (international, national and regional calls or private funds from foundations). The main aim is to obtain cutting-edge information on the state of the soil, vegetation and integrated management using experiments, soil analyses, drones and satellite images.

Partnerships and collaborations