From the Neolithic to the Anthropocene: Humans and depositional processes in Iberian Mountain watersheds

Abstract

Large changes in the hydrological and biogeochemical cycles and surface processes dynamic have been documented in mountain watersheds during the last centuries, greatly affecting landscapes structure and surface processes. In Mediterranean regions, the summer drought and the variability in water availability are primary forcing controls for hydrological regimes, vegetation cover changes and depositional dynamics. Through changes in land uses, natural resources exploitation and an intense urbanization, humans have become significant agents shaping the mountain landscapes during the last millennia