Objective To consolidate fundamental areas of research, in field investigations and modelling that are necessary for quantifying and understanding desertification processes at selected sites across southern Europe.A programme of field measurements and process investigations will be carried out at field stations in Almeria (Spain), Spata (Greece) and Sardinia (Italy), to establish long term trends in desertification, investigate key processes of desertification and soil erosion and contribute towards establishing a European and International data and information base. In Spain additional measurements will be made i) to assess the response of the vegetation, runoff and sediment yield to climate variability; ii) to model the influence of the spatial dynamics of patchy vegetation on runoff and sediment and iii) maintain and update the Rambla Honda field site at the patch and hillslope scale. In Sardinia data on climate, surface runoff, sediment yield, vegetation and soil moisture in experimental plots with different land use conditions will be measured. In Greece data will be collected to establish relations between soil erosion and loss in plant productivity of rain-fed cereals and to quantifying the effect of land abandonment. In Spain, specific studies are being undertaken of: the adaption of natural vegetation under stress and environmental change; of soil faunal activity; soil moisture vegetation relations under stress; the influence of plant roots on infiltration; and the management of stony soils. In Sardinia, land degradation description indicators and grazing impacts are being studied. Modelling activities, associated with the MEDRUSH land degradation model and its application in the target areas are being developed, expanded and consolidated. This covers ecological, land degradation and large basin and landslide modelling. For the ecological modelling a tree model, a model which allows competition between life forms, a generic fire model and a grazing model for inclusion in the vegetation model will be developed. The land degradation modelling will cover the validation of the MEDRUSH model for the Agri and other target areas; the development of a grazing component, the integration of socio-economic models with MEDRUSH and the development of sub-MEDRUSH model for areas of 100 km2. The large basin modelling consist of an implementation of MEDRUSH in the Agri and Guadalentin basins and the identification and use of a database to validate the SHETRAN landslide component. The MEDRUSH model, produced during Medalus II is being developed and applied as a management tool in the target areas of the Guadalentin (Spain), Agri (Italy) and Gerje (Hungary) rivers. The Agri modelling involves scaling and spatial variability analyses of water transport processes, model sensitivity analysis and relevant parameter definition; model validation and testing; comparison of model results from other target areas and evaluation of model performance and output reliability. In the Judean desert (Israel) and in Canada, international partners are undertaking research, that is integrated into the Medalus programme, under conditions that are more extreme than in Europe. Fields of science natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesdatabasesnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencessoil sciencesland-based treatmentsocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivitynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changesagricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturegrains and oilseedscereals Programme(s) FP4-ENV 2C - Specific programme of research and technological development in the field of environment and climate, 1994-1998 Topic(s) 01010403 - Land resources and the threat of desertification and soil erosion in Europe Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Universiteit van Amsterdam EU contribution No data Address 130,Nieuwe Prinsengracht 1018 VZ Amsterdam Netherlands See on map Total cost No data Participants (11) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all Bar-Ilan University Israel EU contribution No data Address 52900 Ramat Gan See on map Total cost No data Cranfield University United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Silsoe Campus Wharley End MK45 4DT Cranfield See on map Total cost No data INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH - HUNGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES Hungary EU contribution No data Address 62,Budaorsi ut 45 1112 BUDAPEST See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Clarendon Way LS2 9JT LEEDS See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Cassie Building, Claremont Road NE1 7RU NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Western Bank S10 2TN SHEFFIELD See on map Total cost No data University of Liverpool United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Crown Street L69 3BX Li Liverpool See on map Total cost No data University of Toronto Canada EU contribution No data Address 1265,Military Trial 1265 M1C 1A4 Scarborough See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Cagliari Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Trentino 51 09100 Cagliari See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Università 100 80055 Portici Napoli See on map Total cost No data Università degli Studi di Sassari Italy EU contribution No data Address Via Enrico de Nicola 07100 Sassari See on map Total cost No data