Cartography of the Terraces (socalcos) in Galicia (Northwest Spain): An Original Approach

The aim of this study was to understand the distribution of terraces in Galicia. First, a detailed cartography was created based on GIS tools. For this purpose, a digital model with a resolution of 2 m was used, together with orthophotos with a resolution of 0.25 m and several vector files containing information about geological and climatic features and settlements. From this analysis, we were able to determine that the terraces occupy an area of 30,255.56 ha and are found on a wide range of rock types and slopes. In addition, we analysed the former land use using aerial photographs of the historic American flight (1956) and topographic maps from the 1940s. On the other hand, field surveys combined with recent orthophotos and information from SIOSE allowed us to determine current terrace use. A progressive abandonment of cultivation and an active process of recolonisation by vegetation or urbanisation - depending on the sector - can be observed. As for the study area, we have carried out an analysis for entire region of Galicia and a more detailed analysis for the terraces in the Miño Sil basin.