Classification of Mediterranean hedgerows: A methodological approximation

The present paper addresses the methodology carried out to obtain a new classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region using GIS and Remote Sensing. A new methodology has been developed due to the need to establish a typification of the hedgerows in this sector of southern Europe, where the variable conditioning the localization, area and type of these landscapes is degree of surface soil moisture. In the continental Mediterranean context, this age-old agricultural system is closely linked to access to, and management of, water resources, which are vital in the dry season. For this reason, we mapped the hedgerow network of a continental Mediterranean mountain, establishing different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2. • The presented procedure focuses on a new classification of hedgerow networks in the Mediterranean region based on the degree of surface soil moisture. • The method stablishes different levels of surface soil moisture provided by images from the satellite Sentinel-2. • The procedure allows us to analyze and correlate the evolution of Mediterranean hedgerows with surface soil moisture.