The new agroforestry mosaic of the Priorat region (Tarragona, NE Spain) A quantitative analysis of land use and land cover changes during the local development period

Since the late 80's to the present, the Priorat region has undergone a process of local development driven by the viticulture and the wine industry. This paper aims to identify the land use and land cover changes that have occurred during this period, which have led to a new agroforestry mosaic. The method of analysis has combined the use of statistical data (agricultural censuses of 1989 and 1999) and mapping data (Land Cover Map of Catalonia 1993 and 2005-2007, which has been analyzed with GIS technology). The most significant changes relate to an increase of 51.4% of the vineyard growing area between 1989 and 2007, a phenomenon particularly relevant in the Geological Priorat area (+118.3%), characterized by slate soils, where this increase has been due to the recovery of abandoned plots, countering the general dynamics of crop abandonment in the Mediterranean mountain areas.