Landforms and soils - Mediterranean Mountain Environments - page 82

Eutric Regosols and Eutric Cambisols or, where clay and iron oxide accumulations
are present, as Haplic and Chromic Luvisols. Soils generally deriving from volcanic
rocks range from Eutric and Dystric Cambisols to Humic Umbrisols. Soils belong-
ing to tephra and acid effusive rocks are mainly classified as Haplic, Humic, Vitric
and Silic Andosols.
4.9 Conclusion
There is no such thing as a unique Mediterranean mountain landscape, but rather
a complex system of forms and geomorphological processes that reflect the close
link with the evolution of Mediterranean structural geology. The close spatial vari-
ability of morphological units breaks down the mountain area into very different
environments that contribute to the construction of a landscape full of interest and
value. The soil component of mountain landscapes reflects the extreme conditions
to which these environments have been subject both in terms of climate and geo-
morphology. The presence of adequate land cover has encouraged the development
of advanced and moderately deep soils from different substrates constituting the
pedogenic origin. Changes in land cover related mainly to human presence have a
strong influence on the conservation of this resource, which is increasingly exposed
to erosion and degradation.
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