Home	Milieu & Energie	Gezondheid & Wetenschap	Duurzaam Bouwen	Photo Gallery
Geologie & Reizen	Landbouw & Voeding	Natuurbescherming	Eilanden	Geo-educatie

LANZAROTE AND ITS ISLETS-continued

---

AGRICULTURE ON VOLCANIC SOIL - part I

---

Left Photo: All seven Canarian islands are volcanic in origin. In Lanzarote, the agricultural landscape reflects the volcanic character of the soil to a high degree. The grape plants are planted in a pit (hoyo) and are protected from the strong winds by semicircular walls (abrigos).
Right Photo: The farmers cover the soil with a layer of volcanic ash (picon) to prevent the scarce water to evaporate. At the same time, the ash absorbs the morning dew.

---

Left Photo: Tourism has pushed aside agriculture on Lanzarote to a great extent. In the sixties, more than half of the population worked in the agricultural sector. Nowadays, the figures do not exceed five percent. Most terraces in the mountains, originally made to cultivate the land for agricultural purposes, are now abandoned.
Right Photo: Small-scale agricultural land use is important for the surviving of wild animals and plants. In 1994, Lanzarote and its islets in the North got the status of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Nevertheless, the wild flora and fauna are endangered.

---

Next page: Agriculture on volcanic soil - part II

---

New on this site: Geo-artist César Manrique.
Manrique: "The perfection and balance of NATURE, polished over millions of years is the wisest lesson possible for men".

© Annemieke van Roekel. Niets van deze website mag worden vermenigvuldigd of openbaar gemaakt door middel van druk, microfilm, fotokopie, plaatsing van teksten en/of afbeeldingen op andere websites of op welke wijze dan ook zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de auteur en de betreffende tijdschriftredacties. Laatste wijziging: 27 september 2013 [home] [top] [contact] [disclaimer]