Javier Amigo

Allozyme variation in the sympatric ferns Culcita macrocarpa and Woodwardia radicans at the northern extreme of their ranges

Isozymes were used to study genetic variation in the clonal ferns Culcita macrocarpa and Woodwardia radicans in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula, their northern distributional limit. Despite their high chromosome numbers, both species were isozymic diploids. In C. macrocarpa all 18 resolved loci were monomorphic, with the same allele in all ramets from all populations. In W. radicans only two of the 16 interpreted loci were polymorphic, with two alleles per locus; ramet-level genotypes showed Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, indicating an intergametophytic mating system; the number of genets distinguished was 1–3 per population; and among-population variation was low (FST = 0.231), suggesting effective gene flow (i.e. spore exchange). More generally, the very low (W. radicans, HT = 0.012) or zero (C. macrocarpa) genetic diversity detected in the present study may be due to genetic drift associated with the reduction of populations in the last glaciation, and to founder effects in the subsequent Holocene expansion.

The nothofagus nitida (Phil.) Krasser woodlands of southern Chile in the northern half of their range: phytosociological position

Abstract A phytosociological study of the temperate rain forests dominated by an evergreen species endemic to Chile, one of the highest-rainfall woodland types of temperate South America, included within the geobotanical concept of North Patagonian Forest. Relevés were taken from throughout an area comprised between 40° and 44° 40′ South, in which these woodlands show highest floristic richness. The communitys floristic and structural diversity are described and proposed as an independent association, Luzuriago polyphyllae-Nothofagetum nitidae ass. nova. The ultrahyperhumid character of this association is evidenced by the number of Hymenophyllaceae species (filmy ferns) that may occur within it.

The Galician-Asturian beechwoods (Saxífrago spathularidis-Fagetum sylvaticae): description, ecology and differentiation from other Cantabrian woodland types

Abstract This study presents an ecological and floristic characterization of the beechwoods of the littoral and sublittoral part of the extreme northwest of the Iberian Peninsula (the Northern Galician-Asturian Subsector), and details differences with respect to Galician-Asturian oakwoods and other beechwoods of the Cantabrian zone, as assessed using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). In view of our findings we describe a new acidophilous beechwood association, Saxifrago spathularidis-Fagetum sylvaticae nova (IIici aquifolii- Fagion sylvaticae, Querco-Fagetea), occurring under a strongly oceanic climate. This association is characterized by the presence of various taxa endemic to the northwest Iberian Peninsula as well as meso-thermophilous species.

Notas sobre la flora de humedales del noroeste ibérico

Presentamos en esta nota algunas novedades floristicas de los humedales del occidente iberico, ya sean relativas a la flora aloctona como Ludwigia grandiflora o Panicum dichotomiflorum o bien sobre flora autoctona. En esta ultima se incluyen datos relativ

Análisis biogeográfico de la pteridoflora de la sierra de la Capelada (La Coruña, España)

La sierra de la Capelada, con 34 especies y subespecies, es el territorio de mayor riqueza pteridofitica de Galicia. La relacion de taxones con espora monoleta respecto a los de espora trileta es de 2,4. Predominan las especies ya presentes en la region Mediterranea durante el Terciario, sobre todo las heterocoricas y las relictas macaronesicas. Entre las que estan desde el Cuaternario destacan las circumboreales. Prescindiendo de esta division temporal, los principales grupos de especies son los submediterraneos y los circumboreales. En el espectro biologico, el grupo mas destacado son los hemicriptofitos. El habitat que aporta mas pteridofitos es el bosque, seguido de las grietas rocosas. Casi todos los pteridofitos presentes en la sierra de la Capelada son acidofilos o indiferentes al sustrato, a pesar de que este es mayoritariamente basico y ultrabasico. A las excepcionales caracteristicas biogeograficas de esta sierra se une la relevancia de algunas de sus poblaciones, como la unica iberica de Hymenophyllum wilsonii o las mas septentrionales en la distribucion mundial de Culcita macrocarpa, Cystopteris diaphana, Davallia canariensis, Dryopteris guanchica, Stegnogramma pozoi y Woodwardia radicans .

Evidence of riverside ash tree forests in southern Galicia (northwestern Spain)

The paper provides phytosociological data to support the occurrence of ash or ash and elm riverside forests in the southern half of Galicia. As a result of its particular floristic composition (clearly related to the Fraxino Ulmenion minoris suballiance), a new community, to be called Hedero hibernicae-Fraxinetum angustifoliae , is proposed. This forest community, typified at association level, shows a territorial distribution usually associated with temperate sub-Mediterranean or clearly meso-Mediterranean areas of Galicia.

The Lowlands and Midlands of Northwestern Atlantic Iberia

The Iberian Cantabrian Atlantic biogeographical territory is a narrow strip of land, fallen L-shaped, which runs parallel to the coast from Pamplona (Spain) to near Aveiro (north Portugal), characterized by a wet and warm climate, with smooth winters and slight or absent drought in summer. Its relief is very varied and includes from coastal and inland plains to mountainous terrains with altitudes up to 1700 m. Homo sapiens has been present in this territory since the Upper Pleistocene but its influence on vegetation cover seems to have been very low until the Climate Optimum of the Holocene. Since this period human activities increased progressively and led to a wide deforestation of the territory, the expansion of non-arboreal seral communities and, during the last century, the introduction of a great variety of alien species for timber production and ornamental use. In spite of this great influence of man on the vegetal cover of the territory, some facts reveal its similarity to the rest of Atlantic Europe: (1) Supremacy of deciduous forests dominated by pedunculate oak and beech which are replaced by ash, maple, elm and linden trees in mixed forests, or alder, birch and willow in alluvial forests. (2) Replacing forests, seral scrub of thorny bushes or broom scrub (Cytisus sp. pl.) occur, with further degradation giving way to heathlands dominated by ericoid species but also with gorses (Ulex sp. pl.) and other thorny leguminosae (Genista sp. pl.). (3) Several types of meadows and other grasslands play a relevant role in the landscape and in traditional agricultural systems. (4) Different vegetation complexes typical of sandy deposits, rocky coasts and saltmarshes merge along its extensive shoreline. Nevertheless, there is a particular fact that differentiates these Atlantic territories from others located further north: the existence of many examples of evergreen vegetation, such as forests of holm oak (Quercus ilex, Q. rotundifolia), cork oak (Quercus suber) and laurel tree (Laurus nobilis), or scrub dominated by Arbutus unedo or Phillyrea sp. pl., due to their proximity to the Mediterranean Region.

Violion caninae grasslands (Nardetea strictae) in the north and north-west of Spain.

Abstract This paper is a phytosociological study of the associations included in the Violion caninae alliance which occur in the Eurosiberian Region of the north and north—west of the Iberian Peninsula (Cantabrian-Atlantic and Orocantabric chorological subprovinces). For this purpose we have taken into consideration the composition, distribution and comparative analysis of the respective synthetic tables from the associations presented in the area. In the more oceanic mountains of Galicia, this type of vegetation adopts the form of acido—philous pasture land clearly located below an altitude of 1,000 m and directly related both to the high rainfall rates of these ranges and the pressure induced by the free grazing of horses all the year round. The study illustrates the relationships between the alliance associations growing in the north and north—west of the Iberian Peninsula and a new association (Galio viviani—Danthonietum decumbentis) is described. We extend the concept of Violion caninae to include the Cantabrian—Atlantic and British—Atlantic associations growing on the mesotemperate and supratemperate belts which belong to the Agrostienion curtisii suballiance.

Catálogos de las pteridofloras de los espacios naturales protegidos de Galicia

QoINTANILLA, LO. & AMIGO VAZQUEZ, J. 1999. Catalogues on the fem Floras of ffie natoral protected arcas of Galicia. Bor. Coniplurensis 23: 99-110.. Wc elaborated the catalogues of the fem floras in the Natural Parks of Galicia by means of (he revision of the referenees in bibliography and herbarium material artd through (be exploration of those territories. We also do an evaluation on the taxa of tbe catalogues applying them the IUCN carhegm-ies of rhreaiened species. AII the studied natural areas gather 57% of (he feni flora of Galicia. `Ube two most extensive Natural Parks, Eaixa Limia Sena do Xu Comunicacion presentada en el V Simposio de la Asociacion Ibero-Macaronesica de Jardines Eotanmeos. Madeira, 1998 2 Direccion actual: tiepartamento de Biologia Vegetal 1. Facultad de Biologia Universidad Con,plutense. Ciudad Universitaria, E-28040 Madrid. 99 Luis G Quinranilla y Javier Amigo Catalogos de las ptei-idofloras -. res (22 species and subspecies) and Fragas do Eume (28), stand out for their richness in fems, aboye ali the second one with a great number of threatened species. Invemadeiro conrains 17 ferns, Corrubedo 14, Monte Aloia 13 and Islas Cies II. We finish tbis paper discussing about tbe importance tbat forest communities have in the quantitative and qualitative differences in the catalogues.

Adiciones al catálogo de la flora gallega

Aportamos datos de interes corologico sobre 12 taxa recolectados en Galicia: Aster lanceolatus, Chamaesyce canescens subsp. canescens, Cucumis myriocarpus, Dittrichia graveolens, Euphorbia uliginosa, Galium teres, Lindernia dubia, Panicum dichotomiflorum, Polygonum minus, Setaria adhaerens, Silene inaperta y Thelypteris palustris. En total suponen 9 primeras citas provinciales, una primera cita regional y otra primera confirmacion con pliego de herbario, tambien a nivel regional. Al menos 8 de ellos se encontraron asociados a diversos habitats fluviales a lo largo de las orillas de los rios Mino y Sil. Es destacable que la mitad de las especies del total se corresponden con especies aloctonas y que en 3 de los 6 casos se trata de especies con origen en el continente americano.