BIOCLIMATOLOGY: TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF CULTIVATED OLIVE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN BASIN

Advances in bioclimatic research have brought a greater understanding ofthe functioning of plant individuals, populations and communities. By applyingbioclimatic indices (Rivas-Martínez, 2007; Rivas-Martínez & Loidi, 1999) we areable to establish a close relationship between bioclimatic data and plant communities,thus enabling the characterisation of each territory. However, these bioclimaticapproaches are also applicable to different crops. The correlation between the indicesfor the Mediterranean macrobioclimate and the distribution of olive plantationsclearly highlights the typically Mediterranean character of Olea europaea L. In thesouthern Iberian Peninsula, olive cultivation covers vast areas and has major socioeconomic importance.Practically all the olive plantations are located in bioclimatic belts with athermomediterranean (Itc 350-450) or mesomediterranean (Itc 210-350) thermotype,and a semiarid (Io 1.0-2.0), dry (Io 2.0-3.6) or subhumid (Io 3.6-7.0) ombroclimate.Only in isolated cases do we fi nd non-extensive cultivations in the supramediterranean(Itc 80-210), and exceptionally in the humid mesomediterranean.There is scarce representation of the supramediterranean thermotype due tothe relatively low presence of olive plantations in this thermotype. These sites havebetween 4 and 6 months of frost and can therefore be regarded as unproductive, even causing trees to die due to excessively low temperatures, as occurred in 2005. This year had a very high number of days with temperatures below -10 ºC, and thus anyplantations that were not in their bioclimatic optimum were affected by frost.Although several factors have conditioned the cultivation of the different olivevarieties in each zone, they are not always located in their ecological optimum from the bioclimatic point of view. Recent studies (Cano et al., 2001a; Ighbareyeh et al.,2014a, b) have highlighted the infl uence of bioclimatology on olive yields; however, this is the fi rst time that the bioclimatic characterisation of the different varieties has been undertaken. One of the aims of the present study is to relate the distribution of the different olive varieties with various bioclimatic indices, and characterise each one according to its bioclimatic requirements. All this information can be used to propose models for agricultural management, according to Cano et al. (2003).

I progressi nel campo della ricerca bioclimatica hanno portato una maggiorecomprensione del funzionamento delle singole piante, delle popolazioni e delle comunità. Mediante applicazione di indici bioclimatici (Rivas-Martínez, 2007;Rivas-Martinez & Loidi, 1999) possiamo stabilire una stretta relazione tra i datibioclimatici e le comunità vegetali, consentendo in tal modo la caratterizzazionedi ogni territorio. Tuttavia, questi approcci bioclimatici sono applicabili anche allediverse colture. La correlazione tra gli indici per il macrobioclima del Mediterraneo e la distribuzione di oliveti evidenzia chiaramente il carattere tipicamente mediterraneo di Olea europaea L. Nella penisola iberica meridionale, l’olivicoltura copre vastearee e ha grande importanza socio-economica.Praticamente tutti gli uliveti si trovano in fasce bioclimatiche con un termotipo termomediterraneo (Itc 350-450) o mesomediterraneo (Itc 210-350) e un ombroclimasemiarido (Io 1,0-2,0), secco (Io 2,0-3,6) o subumido (Io 3,6-7,0). Solo in casi isolati troviamo coltivazioni non estese nel bioclima supramediterraneo (Itc 80-210) ed eccezionalmente in quello mesomediterraneo umido.