Antonio Jesús Mendoza-Fernández

Ecology, genetic diversity and phylogeography of the Iberian endemic plant Jurinea pinnata (Lag.) DC. (Compositae) on two special edaphic substrates: dolomite and gypsum

Background and aimsJurinea pinnata is an Iberian vascular plant which only grows on gypsum and dolomite, two types of rocks associated with their exclusive endemic floras. In addition, the plant has an island-like distribution which could affect the differentiation and the genetic variability of wild populations. Thus, the species provides a unique opportunity for comparing (bio)geographical and ecological (edaphic) differentiation by means of molecular markers.MethodsFor our investigation we took 24 soil samples paired with a similar number of foliar samples for nutritional analyses. Our molecular-marker approach (AFLPs) involved 16 populations.ResultsThe edaphic parameters revealed significant dissimilarities between dolomitic and gypsum soils. These differences are also found in the mineral composition of the leaves. However, molecular data revealed that the differentiation between populations correlates better with geographical isolation than with the substrate character.ConclusionsThe populations showing the greatest genetic diversity are those of the East Baetic territory where the species grow on both substrates and its populations are closer together. The plant tolerance to gypsum and dolomite can be explained either as a result of common adaptive mechanisms or of a more general adaptation to arid environments.

Iberian Baetic Endemic Flora and the Implications for a Conservation Policy

The Baetic ranges in the Iberian Peninsula are extremely rich and outstanding in biological terms. Based on the existing literature, herbarium sheets and our own field research, we provide a checklist of the endemic flora growing in the Baetic chorological province. The checklist includes 418 taxa belonging to 43 families, with the species pool concentrated within large families. The highest number of endemic species is recorded in the altitudinal range of 1300–1500 m a.s.l. Hemicryptophytes represent the most frequent life form (45.5%). Conservation priorities should concentrate on non-woody life forms (particularly on hemicryptophytes), and on high mountain areas. Most of the taxa can be ascribed to serial shrublands (36.87%), or rock- or scree-dwelling formations (26.25%), with climactic forest formations playing a minor role (3.24%). This successional position has important implications for conservation programmes. Therefore, a clear distinction should be made between serial or plagioclimactic formations (e.g. dolomite thyme-scrub communities) and degraded communities of little interest for the preservation of biodiversity (e.g. synanthropic vegetation). Astragalus nevadensis subsp. andresmolinae (Díez-Garretas & Asensi) Mota & F.J. Pérez-García is proposed as a new combination.

Gap Analysis and selection of reserves for the threatened flora of eastern Andalusia, a hot spot in the eastern Mediterranean region

Abstract The Betic ranges are recognised as one of the hot spots of biodiversity in the Mediterranean region. The greater part of this territory is in Andalusia and is very rich in vascular plants, some of them endemic. The territory exhibits enormous orographical and geological complexity. This is, in short, a mosaic, fragmented landscape with extremely high β-diversity. This scenario is ideal for monitoring the efficiency of reserve areas. The main aim of this research is to see whether the Network of Natural Protected Areas of Andalusia, extended with the SCIs, is sufficient to safeguard the plant biodiversity, represented in this case by the threatened vascular flora. The analysis includes also the areas corresponding to the priority habitats as defined in the Directive 92/43/EEC. Considering that the presence of priority habitats was a guideline in the drafting of the SCIs, this last inclusion is logical. The results reveal that SCIs are the most efficient strategy for the preservation of the flora, although almost 30% of the flora occur outside these sites. By contrast, the areas with priority habitats failed to cover over 70% of the threatened flora.

Extreme habitat loss in a Mediterranean habitat: Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea

Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea communities are unique vegetal formations in Europe. In fact, they are considered Priority Habitat by Directive 92/43/EEC. These are ecologically valuable plant communities found in the southeast of Spain. By combining modeling methods of environmental variables, historical photo-interpretation, and fieldwork, a chronosequence of the evolution of their extent of occurrence (EOO) has been reconstructed in 1957 and 2011. Results showed a strong regression range of M. senegalensis subsp. europaea populations. More than 26,000 ha of EOO for this species have been lost in the province of Almería. Considering the final number of polygons, this area has been fragmented 18 times since the 1950s. These results reinforce the idea that the alteration and fragmentation of habitat due to human activities is one of the most important drivers of biodiversity loss and global change. These activities are mostly intensive greenhouse agriculture and urbanization without sustainable land planning. Knowledge about the distribution of M. senegalensis subsp. europaea is of great interest for future habitat restoration. Therefore, this would be the key species to recover these damaged ecosystems.

Preliminary essay on the chorology of the Iberian gypsicolous flora: rarity and richness of the gypsum outcrops

Abstract The Iberian aljezares have been recognized as areas of high phyto—diversity and endemism as they harbour an extremely peculiar flora. Mining activities can endanger this flora. It is necessary to indicate the most important areas in order to conserve the biodiversity, so the chorology of 53 gypsophytes taxa have been developed where “1” was used for presences of every taxon and “0” for absences in UTM cells of 10 × 10 km2. This chorology is a complex dataset including numerous local endemics and high territorial differences (high β-diver- sity). In addition, the results indicate that the richest aljezares are present in the Central Iberian Meseta (plateau), while the highest values of rarity are situated in the semiarid South East of the Iberian Peninsula.

Areas of endemism as a conservation criterion for Iberian gypsophilous flora: a multi-scale test using the NDM/VNDM program

The identification of areas of endemism is a crucial tool for both the interpretation of the spatial component of biological evolution and the plotting of priority areas as far as biodiversity conservation is concerned. Geographical isolation, aridity and special substrates are among the factors which can help to explain the restricted areas of the taxa. All these factors concur in the origin of the Iberian gypsophilous flora, rich in endemic and threatened species. Gypsum is a particularly demanding rock for plants, and gypsum outcrops are usually fragmented in space, in territories with arid conditions. Information on the presence of 71 gypsophytes was collected in 10 × 10 km Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM). The distribution of these plants was used to plot the main areas of endemism for the vascular flora on Iberian gypsum outcrops. This was carried out using the eNDeMism/Visor of eNDeMism (NDM/VNDM) program and several grid cell sizes. A total of 51 areas of endemicity were identified and represented on a map according to their program selection frequency. The South East (SE) of the Iberian Peninsula was the only area selected in all the tests. The results were also compared with other factors of interest for the conservation of gypsophilous flora like genetic diversity of four gypsophytes.

Threatened plants of arid ecosystems in the Mediterranean Basin: a case study of the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula

Networks of protected areas are one of the main strategies used to address the biodiversity crisis. These should encompass as many species and ecosystems as possible, particularly in territories with high biological diversity, such as the Spanish arid zones. We produce a priority ranking of the arid zones of south-east Spain according to the rarity and richness of their characteristic flora and the level of endangerment. The resulting hierarchy shows that optimal zones for the preservation of the flora are located outside the network of protected areas. In particular, it is important to extend the network and encourage the creation of microreserves in the depression of the River Guadiana Menor (Granada), where there is least protection. This river valley is a particularly important arid site because of its unique flora and fauna, and palaeontological and archaeological findings.

Is the endangered flora of the Iberian southeast adequately protected? Gaps in the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA): the case of the province of Almería.

Abstract The province of Almería presents a mosaic of ecological conditions which has given rise to an extremely rich natural patrimony. Combining a number of criteria aiming at the preservation of endangered species with chorologi- cal information is an efficient way of determining the floristically valuable areas at a regional level. Our research aims at defining the most valuable sites in Almería as far as flora is concerned in order to subsequently compare the results with the Network of Protected Natural Areas of Andalusia (RENPA). We have taken as our fundamental reference a very detailed and geo—referenced data base with all the catalogued taxa occurring in Almería. The implementation both of several algorithms for the automatic selection of natural reserves and of the indexes of Importance and Responsibility provides a set of solutions comparable with the RENPA proposals. Our results reveal that there are still unprotected enclaves with species whose conservation is crucial if we wish to safeguard the highest degree of diversity. A network of micro—reserves would help not only to protect these extremely valuable botanical areas but also to bring their importance to the attention of the general public.

Red Lists versus nature protection Acts: new analytical and numerical method to test threat trends

Red Lists are the widest international tool to establish species extinction risks and conservation priorities. Chronological Red Lists comparisons have proved a useful strategy to assess biodiversity loss. Alongside Red Lists, nature protection Acts have been enacted in most countries. The information transposition from Red Lists to Acts would be the logical sequence. However, the similarities between these (Red Lists—Acts) have never been analyzed. In this study, an innovative method based on IUCN categories is proposed to easily compare biodiversity protection catalogs. This international method could use data from any taxonomic group, area or date. Firstly, a matrix method was implemented which objectively weighs taxa threat degree, and incorporates a statistical significance value after catalog comparisons. Moreover, each catalog threat category trends are assessed through an analysis of their temporal evolution and the threat types of species categories. Thereby, the relationship between scientists’ Red Lists, and nature protection legislation enacted by governments can be established. A study performed from such perspective could provide useful tools for integrating and comparing information from different sources. This study was located in Andalusia (Spain), a hot spot with a long tradition in flora conservation, where a vast amount of information about this subject has been published. Cluster analysis results showed that catalog typology was the most influential feature in clustering, rather than the publication date or the geographical framework. The results also supported that the expected relationship between Red Lists and Acts was not consistent, and demonstrated that threat categories included in catalogs had oftentimes contradictory trends.

Seed germination and antioxidant pattern in Lavandula multifida (Lamiaceae): A comparison between core and peripheral populations

Abstract We evaluated the environmental adaptability of Lavandula multifida L., a plant species presents in the Western Mediterranean Basin with a threatened peripheral population in Southern Italy. Germination capacity, activities of some hydrolyzing enzymes associated with germination and antioxidative pathway of Calabrian L. multifida were quantified in comparison with a Spanish core population. The Calabrian population showed a lower germination ability and it can be related to the small size of the population and associated inbreeding depression. Difference between two populations in enzymatic assays and antioxidative pattern during germination and early seedling development may in part explain a different ability of these two populations to respond to external cues and a diverse environmental adaptability. The study on germination strategies of isolated populations is important to define possible programmes to preserve genetic biodiversity of autochthon plants populations.