干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

The aim of the EU funded project "RECONDES" is to bridge the gap between research and practice in relation to soil and land degradation and the onset of desertification in Mediterranean lands. The research is on the use of vegetation for restoration and mitigation of desertified areas and the major outcome will be guidelines on how vegetation may be used in the landscape to reduce erosion. Much of the erosion takes place in hot spots and specific locations related to zones of runoff concentration, often exacerbated by land-use practices and structures or lack of maintenance of traditional practices which previously prevented development of long runoff slopes. The major premise of the project is that vegetation can be used to reduce connectivity of flow and sediment transfers within the landscape. Within river channels the effect of vegetated reaches on flow and sediment flux are examined.