Effects of precipitation patterns and temperature trends on soil water available for vineyards in a Mediterranean climate area

The objective of this paper is to analyse the impact of temperature increases and irregular rainfall distribution, associated with climate change, on water availability for rainfed vineyards cultivated in a Mediterranean climate area. The study includes the analysis of the interrelations between precipitation distribution, temperature, evapotranspiration and runoff rates, and the resulting water storage in vineyards soils of the Penedès region (NE Spain). A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to classify the years according to water availability. The influence of water stored into the soil on yield for some one of the main vine varieties cultivated in the area is analysed. A vineyard, representative of the land management practices in this area, was selected for soil moisture monitoring and runoff evaluations, as well as for grape yield, which was compared with yields recorded in other plots.