Climate and olive production in dry regions of Catalonia: the case study of Cabacés (Priorat)

Abstract

In the current context of climate change, proper studies of regional and local vulnerabilities are required. This study analyses the relationship between the high quality olive production in a municipality of southern Catalonia, Cabacés (Priorat), and climate variability. Results show the climate effects –maximum temperature in April, and rainfall in July– on olive production. Nevertheless, irrigation caused a high increase in olive production along the last decade. This fact leads to a disagreement in the multiple regressions, modelled by the climatic variables above-mentioned, after 2002. Thus, to define future vulnerabilities must be taken the global change into account, which considers climate change and other changes in land and water uses.

Keywords: Climate change, Priorat, olive trees, crop production, climatic series.