Historical evolution of Medieval fauna in the Lower Segura, Alicante (Spain)

ABSTRACT The development and consolidation of the “huerta” (an agricultural system of irrigated fields) of Orihuela (Alicante, Spain) involved a series of historical changes in the ecosystem that have determined the configuration of the fauna associated with it in time. Focusing on the Medieval period (130th to 16th centuries), the sociocultural factors that caused these changes and their impact on fauna during this period are analyzed in this study. For this we have conducted a review of various sources that can reconstruct the most significant processes in the evolution of the landscape and wildlife of the area. To a large extent, the variety of environments that have historically been part of this territory, now much more homogeneous, are the source of its high animal diversity.