Los espacios turísticos de la Comunidad Valenciana: ¿planificación territorial del turismo o evolución espontánea? Los planes regionales y el caso de Peñíscola

La ordenación territorial es la práctica que resulta imprescindible para organizar el uso turístico del espacio. Sin embargo, el objetivo pendiente de algunas autonomías continúa siendo la interrelación entre planificación territorial y planificación turística, dando paso al urbanismo como técnica de ordenación territorial del turismo. Este estudio plantea determinar si la ordenación territorial del turismo en la Comunidad Valenciana a escala autonómica, local e interrelación entre ambas, se encuentra en una etapa integradora o espontanea, y de igual modo, plasmar la problemática de la conceptualización del turismo desde la perspectiva territorial. Mediante la integración de los catorce indicadores propositivos, que Exceltur extrajo de Planes de Ordenación Territorial de distintas autonomías insulares y del litoral mediterráneo, se comprobaron las buenas prácticas en planificación territorial del turismo de la Estrategia Territorial, el Plan de Espacios Turísticos de la Comunidad Valenciana, así como del Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de Peñíscola. Asimismo un hecho que afecta a la elaboración, redacción y consecución de los planes territoriales y/o turísticos valencianos, es la conceptualización sesgada del término turismo, tal y como muestran los resultados de diversas entrevistas en profundidad realizadas a actores especializados en planificación. Los hallazgos de este estudio sugieren que la planificación territorial del turismo en la Comunidad Valenciana continúa su etapa espontánea, mientras que los municipios mantienen su independencia a la hora de gestionar la ordenación y la gestión territorial del turismo.

Extinction trends of threatened invertebrates in peninsular Spain

Using information from two recently published atlases of threatened invertebrate species in peninsular Spain, we examined the climatic, land use and geographic characteristics of the 100 km2 UTM cells with most likelihood of suffering extinctions (extinction cells), as well as the attributes of the species prone to population extinctions. Extinction cells have had significantly (1) lower precipitation values, (2) higher temperatures, (3) higher percentages of anthropic land uses or (4) higher rates of anthropization during the last 20 years than the remaining cells. Nevertheless, probable extinctions may occur under a wide range of climatic and anthropization change rates and these variables can only explain a low proportion (~5 %) of variability in the occurrence or number of extinction cells. Aquatic species seem to suffer higher local extinction rates than terrestrial species. Interestingly, many invertebrate species with approximately 25 or less occurrence cells are on a clear trajectory towards extinction. These results outline the difficulties and uncertainties in relating probable population extinctions with climatic and land use changes in the case of invertebrate data. However, they also suggest that a third of the considered Spanish threatened species could have lost some of their populations, and that current conservation efforts are insufficient to reverse this tendency.

Ecological gradients and landscape structure affecting seasonal woodpigeon Columba palumbus densities in a coastal region (South-East Spain)

The aim of the present study is to identify and evaluate the relationship between Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus, Linnaeus, 1758) density and different environmental gradients (thermotype, ombrotype, continentality and latitudinal), land use and landscape structure, using geographic information systems and multivariate modelling. Transects (n = 396) were developed to estimate the density of Woodpigeon in the Marina Baja (Alicante, Spain) from 2006 to 2008. The highestdensity for Woodpigeon was in September-October (1.28birds/10ha) and the lowest inFebruary-March (0.34birds/10ha). Moreover, there were more Woodpigeons in areas with a mesomediterranean thermotypethan in thermomediterranean or supramediterranean ones. There was greater densityinthe intermediate zones compared to thecoast and interior. The natural or cultural landscape had the highest Woodpigeon density (1.53birds/10ha), with both denseand clear pine forest values standing out. Therefore, it is very important to conserve these traditional landscapes with adequate management strategies in order to maintain, resident and transient Woodpigeon populations. These natural areas are open places where the Woodpigeons find food and detect the presence ofpredators. Thus, this study will enable more precise knowledge of the ecological factors (habitat variables) that intervene in the distribution of Woodpigeon populations and their density.

Main ecological gradients and landscape matrix affect wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Leporidae) abundance in a coastal region (South-East Spain)

Landscape analysis with transects, in the Marina Baja area (province of Alicante, Spain), has contributed to establish the influence of different landscape matrices and some environmental gradients on wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Mammalia: Leporidae) abundance (kilometric abundance index, KAI). Transects (n = 396) were developed to estimate the abundance of this species in the study area from 2006 to 2008.Our analysis shows that rabbits have preferences for a specific land use matrix (irrigated: KAI = 3.47 ± 1.14 rabbits/km). They prefer the coastal area (KAI = 3.82 ± 1.71 rabbits/km), which coincides with thermo-Mediterranean (a bioclimatic belt with a tempered winter and a hot and dry summer with high human density), as opposed to areas in the interior (continental climate with lower human occupation). Their preference for the southern area of the region was also noted (KAI = 8.22 ± 3.90 rabbits/km), which coincides with the upper semi-arid area, as opposed to the northern and intermediate areas (the north of the region coinciding with the upper dry and the intermediate area with the lower dry). On the other hand, we found that the number of rabbits increased during the 3-year study period, with the highest abundance (KAI = 2.71 ± 1.30 rabbits/km) inMay. Thus, this study will enable more precise knowledge of the ecological factors (habitat variables) that intervene in the distribution of wild rabbit populations in a poorly studied area.

Golf course irrigation and self-sufficiency water in Southern Spain

During the first decade of the 21st century, many golf courses were developed in the Southeast of Spain, which greatly increased the number of these facilities. Almost all of these golf courses have been accompanied by large residential developments composed of thousands of dwelling units. This article seeks to identify the factors that influence golf courses’ water consumption and estimate the number of dwelling units that an associated residential development needs to have to provide the effluent necessary to fully meet the irrigation needs of a golf course. The study indicates that private golf courses achieve greater levels of irrigation efficiency than public golf courses and that the golf courses associated with residential developments subject the irrigation needs of the grassland to the sale requirements of the real estate properties. The study also estimates that a golf course requires approximately 3000 dwelling units with an average annual occupancy of 33% to achieve self-sufficiency for irrigation.