{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T00:22:28Z","timestamp":1777508548399,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,15]],"date-time":"2016-04-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1460678400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sustainability"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The Caia Irrigation Perimeter is an irrigation infrastructure implemented in 1968. As is often the case, the original soil map of this region (dated from 1961) does not have the detail needed to characterize a relatively small-sized zone, where intensive agricultural practices take place. Using FAO methodology and with the main goal of establishing a larger-scale soil map, adequate for the demands of a modern and intensive agriculture, we gathered the geological characterization of the study area and information about the topography, climate, and vegetation of the region. Using ArcGIS software, we overlapped this information and established a pre-map of soil resources. Based on this pre-map, we defined a set of detailed itineraries in the field, evenly distributed, in which soil samples were collected. In those distinct soil units, we opened several soil profiles, from which we selected 26 to analyze in the present study, since they characterized the existing diversity in terms of soil type and soil properties. Based on the work of verification, correction, and reinterpretation of the preliminary soil map, we reached a final soil map for the Caia Irrigation Perimeter, which is characterized by enormous heterogeneity, typical of Mediterranean soils, containing 23 distinct cartographic units, the most representative being the Distric Fluvisols with inclusions of Luvisols Distric occupying 29.9% of the total study area, and Calcisols Luvic with inclusions of Luvisols endoleptic with 11.9% of the total area. Considering the obtained information on soil properties; ArcGIS was used to develop a map in which it was possible to ascertain the impact of the continuous practice of irrigation in this area. This allows us to put forward relevant conclusions on the need to access and monitor specific Mediterranean soils in order to mitigate the environmental impact of irrigation practices.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/su8040368","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,15]],"date-time":"2016-04-15T11:36:02Z","timestamp":1460720162000},"page":"368","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Using GIS towards the Characterization and Soil Mapping of the Caia Irrigation Perimeter"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7162-1398","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Nunes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LEAF\u2014Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture and Food, Superior Institute of Agronomy, Tapada da ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"IPP\u2014Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Portalegre, Portalegre, Pra\u00e7a do Municipio, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6611-3417","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds","family":"Loures","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CIEO\u2014Centre for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics, Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal"},{"name":"IPP\u2014Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Portalegre, Portalegre, Pra\u00e7a do Municipio, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ant\u00f3nio","family":"Lopez-Pi\u00f1eiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u00c1rea de Edafolog\u00eda y Qu\u00edmica Agr\u00edcola (Facultad de Ciencias) and IACYS, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de Elvas S\/N, 06071 Badajoz, Spain"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Loures","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IPP\u2014Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Portalegre, Portalegre, Pra\u00e7a do Municipio, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Eric","family":"Vaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"9124","DOI":"10.3390\/su6129124","article-title":"Concentrations of Available Heavy Metals in Mediterranean Agricultural Soils and Their Relation with Some Soil Selected Properties: A Case Study in Typical Mediterranean Calcareous Soils","volume":"6","author":"Nunes","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"1","article-title":"Classification of urban and industrial soils in the world Reference Base for Soil Resources","volume":"5","author":"Rossiter","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. 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