Bioclimatology, Structure, and Conservation Perspectives of Quercus pyrenaica, Acer opalus subsp. Granatensis, and Corylus avellana Deciduous Forests on Mediterranean Bioclimate in the South-Central Part of the Iberian Peninsula

J. C. Piñar Fuentes, A. Cano-Ortiz, C. M. Musarella, R. Quinto Canas, C. J. Pinto Gomes, G. Spampinato, S. del Río and E. Cano
Additional contact information
J. C. Piñar Fuentes: Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Section of Botany, University of Jaén, Campus, Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
A. Cano-Ortiz: Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Section of Botany, University of Jaén, Campus, Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
C. M. Musarella: Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Section of Botany, University of Jaén, Campus, Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain
R. Quinto Canas: Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
C. J. Pinto Gomes: Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning, Institute for Mediterranean Agrarian and Environmental Sciences (ICAAM), School of Science and Technology, University of Évora (Portugal), Rua Romão Ramalho, nº 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
G. Spampinato: Department of AGRARIA, “Mediterranea” University of Reggio Calabria, Località Feo di Vito, 89122 Reggio Calabria, Italy
S. del Río: Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management (Botany), Mountain Livestock Institute (CSIC-ULE), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
E. Cano: Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Section of Botany, University of Jaén, Campus, Universitario Las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 22, 1-29

Abstract: The plant variability in the southern Iberian Peninsula consists of around 3500 different taxa due to its high bioclimatic, geographic, and geological diversity. The deciduous forests in the southern Iberian Peninsula are located in regions with topographies and specific bioclimatic conditions that allow for the survival of taxa that are typical of cooler and wetter bioclimatic regions and therefore represent the relict evidence of colder and more humid paleoclimatic conditions. The floristic composition of 421 samples of deciduous forests in the south-central part of the Iberian Peninsula were analyzed. The ecological importance index (IVI) was calculated, where the most important tree species were Quercus pyrenaica , Acer opalus subsp. Granatensis , and Corylus avellana . These species are uncommon in the south-central part of the Iberian Peninsula, forming forests of little extension. An analysis of the vertical distribution of the species (stratum) shows that the majority of the species of stratum 3 (hemicriptophics, camephytes, geophites, and nanophanerophytes) are characteristic of deciduous forests, and their presence is positively correlated with high values of bioclimatic variables related to humidity and presence of water in the soil (nemoral environments), while they are negatively correlated with high values of bioclimatic variables related to high temperatures, evapotranspiration, and aridity. This work demonstrates that several characteristic deciduous forest taxa are more vulnerable to disappearance due to the loss of their nemoral conditions caused by gaps in the tree or shrub canopy. These gaps lead to an increase in evapotranspiration, excess insolation, and a consequent loss of water and humidity in the microclimatic conditions.

Keywords: global warming; bioclimate; deciduous forests; southern Iberian Peninsula; sustainable management; multivariable analyses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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