Soil erosion, Serra de Grândola (Portugal)

Soil erosion has long been the subject of attention for environmental management researchers because it implies the loss of a key natural resource for sustaining life. Several methodologies for soil erosion assessment have been developed; many of these are supported by Geographic Information Systems. This study aims to classify the susceptibility of rainfall-induced erosion at the Serra de Grândola (Portugal), based on the Priority Actions Programme/Regional Activity Centre guidelines for mapping soil erosion on the Mediterranean coast. Results show a low-to-moderate susceptibility to rainfall-induced erosion in the lowlands, becoming moderate to high in the highlands of the Serra de Grândola.