El paisaje vegetal en la Granada Islámica y sus transformaciones tras la conquista castellana

This paper analyses the Mediterranean forest of the former Kingdom of Granada (13th-16th centuries) from the perspective of its exploitation. Livestock and dry farming in Andalusi society were less developed and thus the pressure on the mountain was also minor. The irrigated plots of land were an essential part of the agriculture and were very profitable. Some of the products obtained were destined for self-supply, but others were to be traded (for example, sugar or silk). After the Castilian conquest, the livestock increased, particularly the sheep, as the wool was destined for overseas markets. Castilian people found the farming areas to be sufficient and they usually widened them for dry farming, at the expense of the woodland. This fact along with the need to “open up” the Mediterranean undergrowth, which was generally impassable as it was very dense and thorny tor the livestock, placed a huge pressure on it.