This study was conducted at the southern Atlantic European Coast which has a unique climate with summer temperatures averaging around 23 ◦C and relatively mild spring, fall, and winter seasons; the region also experiences high rainfall (from 900 to 2000 mm a year), particularly in the fall-winter-spring period. In 2010 and 2011, the mean rainfall in the growing season (Mayto October) was 66 mm and 57 mm, respectively, while the mean temperature was 19 ◦C in 2010 and 18 ◦C in 2011. Some differences in the distribution of the rainfall should be noted as there was
considerably less rainfall in August 2010 (7.2 mm) than in 2011
(120 mm).