Fractal analysis of the hydrological information obtained from high-spatial resolution dems: application in terroir zoning of d.o. campo de Borja (Spain)

One of the characteristics of the terroir zoning studies that is more complex to manage is the scale dependence. Thus, terroir zoning studies of the same area at different scales are comparable but not equal. Fractal analysis has demonstrated to be a suitable tool to characterize and model natural elements within a defined range of scales. 

Nowadays, the fast evolution of the GISs and the availability of high-resolution topographic information allow to carry out studies considered unthinkable some decades ago. 

Parallelism between the elements which condition the drainage networks of a landscape, and the elements which define the terroir has been observed. It is well known by geomorphologists that the shape of the drainage networks (dendritic, parallel, radial, etc.) depends on natural factors such as climate, vegetation and geological characteristics, particularly lithology and structure, which also characterize the terroir of a region. 

The main objectives of the present study are the quantitative characterization, using techniques of fractal analysis, of the drainage networks of the D.O. Campo de Borja, and the analysis of its relationship with the vineyard distribution within the region. The studied drainage networks have been extracted from a DEM with a resolution of 5 meters. 

The results show the suitability of the study and encourage to deepen into the relationship between the drainage networks crossing the landscape, the geological and topographic characteristics of the environment, and the distribution of the vineyard within the region.