Tomás Emilio Díaz González

Diversity of Rich Fen Vegetation and Related Plant Specialists in Mountain Refugia of the Iberian Peninsula

In temperate mountains, fens have been reported as relict habitats subject to geographical fragmentation and broad climatic gradients, but few studies have analyzed the influence of these factors on plant diversity. Here we investigate the effect of isolation on the vegetation diversity of rich fens (Caricion davallianae) in the mountains of the Iberian Peninsula, the distribution limit of these habitats in south-western Europe. We used plot-based vegetation data from the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian mountain range to evaluate their regional species-pool, occurrence of specialists, beta-diversity and the effect of geo-climatic variables on their species-richness and species-composition. We found a lower ratio of rare specialists in the Pyrenees than in the Cantabrian range, but similar estimates in the species pools, total species-richness per plot and beta-diversity. The isolation of the two mountain regions resulted in different species assemblages best predicted by summer precipitation and bedrock types, showing region-based differences in the response of vegetation and plant specialists to the environment. The tighter correlation between local climate and diversity estimates in the Cantabrian range suggests relict character of rich fens in that region, where climatic conditions have restricted local distribution of formerly more widely distributed specialists. Although there is no relevant evidence of vegetation impoverishment in that region, historical isolation has probably resulted in the existence of fragmentary plant communities. We conclude that fen vegetation may experience long-time persistence in climatically sub-optimal mountain refugia, but related plant specialists may be sensitive to climatic changes and subject to the extinction of local populations.

Bioclimatology of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands

According to criteria and proposals of S. Rivas-Martinez, S. Rivas-Saenz and A. Penas (Glob Geobot 1(1):1–634, 2011a) with which they established a world bioclimatic classification system, two macrobioclimates (Temperate and Mediterranean), eight bioclimates (temperate hyperoceanic, temperate oceanic, temperate xeric, mediterranean pluviseasonal-oceanic, mediterranean pluviseasonal-continental, mediterranean xeric-oceanic and mediterranean desertic-oceanic), two bioclimatic variants (steppic and submediterranean), 11 thermotypes (thermotemperate, mesotemperate, supratemperate, orotemperate, cryorotemperate, inframediterraean, thermomediterranean, mesomediterranean, supramediterranean, oromediterranean and cryoromediterraean) and seven ombrotypes (arid, semiarid, dry, subhumid, humid, hyperhumid and ultrahyperhumid) are recognized in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands. In addition to this, six types of continentality (euhyperoceanic, subhyperoceanic, semihyperoceanic, euoceanic, semicontinental and subcontinental) are also recognized. Furthermore, relationships between potential natural vegetation (sigmeta, geosigmeta, permasigmata, minorisigmeta and geopermasigmeta) and the bioclimatic units existing in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands are set.

Revisión del género Saxifraga L., sect. Dactyloides Tausch en el centro y norte de la Península Ibérica

Hemos llevado a cabo la revision del genero Saxifraga L., seccion Dactyloides Tausch (grex Ceratophyllae Willk., Gemmiferae Willk., y Exarato-Moschatae Engler & Itmsch.) del centro y norte de la Peninsula Iberica, mediante el estudio de caracteres morfologicos, palinologicos y seminologicos, de entre los que destacamos por su valor diagnostico los siguientes: longitud y anchura maxima de las hojas basilares, longitud del peciolo real de las mismas, numero total de segmentos y tipo de segmento central de las hojas basilares, anchura del segmento central de las hojas basilares, presencia-ausencia de mucron en el apice foliar, contorno de la lamina de las hojas basilares, forma de los segmentos laterales de la lamina de las hojas basilares, tipo de indumento de las hojas basilares, distribucion de los pelos glandulares y numero de celulas de los mismos, clasificacion de las hojas en base a la presencia-ausencia de surco, longitud del tallo florifero, mitad apical o basal del tallo florifero cubierta de pelos glandulares, presencia de yemas hibemantes, forma apical de los dientes del caliz, longitud y anchura de los petalos, porcion del petalo que sobrepasa al sepalo, longitud y anchura de la semilla y omamentacion de la cubierta seminal. Los caracteres estudiados nos han permitido reconocer un total de treinta y tres taxones de los que aportamos datos corologicos, ecologicos y fitosociologicos. Se anade una clave de identificacion de todos los taxones objeto de estudio, en la que tambien se incluyen S. conifera Cosson, S. x martyi Luizet & Soulie, S. pubescens Pourret subsp. pubescens , S. pubescens subsp. iratiana (F.W. Schultz) Engler & Irmsch., y S. vayredana Luizet, los cuales aunque no tratados en nuestra revision, se distribuyen por el norte de la Peninsula Iberica.

Biogeographic Units of the Iberian Peninsula and Baelaric Islands to District Level. A Concise Synopsis

The following biogeographic units for the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands have been established according to the conceptual geobotanical proposals of Rivas-Martinez et al. (Parte I. Itinera Geobotanica 17:5–436, 2007; Parte II. Itinera Geobotanica 18 (1):5–424, 2011a; Glob Geobot 1(1):1–634, 2011b; Int J Geobot Res 1(1):21–40, 2011c and Int J Geobot Res 4(1):1–64, 2014): one kingdom (Holartic), two regions (Eurosiberian, Mediterranean), eight provinces, 16 subprovinces, 49 sectors and 264 districts. The potential natural vegetation: climatophilous, climato-temporihygrophilous, xerophilous, hygrophilous sigmetum or geopermasigmetum (series and geopermaseries) are shown for each province and sector. We also point out some of their specific features. Biogeographic maps up to district level are shown.

Pasado, presente y futuro de la Fitosociología española

El presente trabajo presenta el desarrollo historico de la Fitosociologia en Espana, desde sus origenes a partir del concepto de Grisebach de formacion vegetal, en 1838, hasta nuestros dias. Asi se describen los primeros pasos de la Fitosociologia a cargo de botanicos espanoles y su expansion en la segunda mitad del siglo XX. A partir de 1981 se inicia, en palabras de S. Rivas-Martinez (l.c.), el periodo de consolidacion de la Fitosociologia espanola merced a un eje vertebrador constituido inicialmente por la Seccion Espanola de la Amicale Intemationale de Phytosociologie, creada un ano antes, hasta 1989, fecha en la que se constituye la Asociacion Espanola de Fitosociologia (AEFA).

Phytosociological nomenclature and typification of names of heathland syntaxa from W Europe (classCalluno-Ulicetea)

The correct names, author citations and nomenclatural types of the syntaxa names are established for the principal ranks above the association. These syntaxa areUlicion minorisMalcuit 1929,Ericion umbellataeBr.-Bl., P. Silva, Rozeira etFontes 1952,Genisto-VaccinionBr.-Bl. 1926,Ulicetalia minorisQuantin 1935 andCalluno-UliceteaBr.-Bl. etR. Tx. 1943

Estudio de los matorrales higrófilos (Genistion micrantho-anglicae) en la provincia de León

En el presente trabajo se estudian los brezales higrofilos leoneses que pertenecen a dos asociaciones: Genista anglicae-Ericetum tetralicis y Genisto anglicae-Ericetum vagantis . Se describe la Genisto anglicae-Ericetum tetralicis scirpetosum germanicii nova y las subasociaciones ericetosum tetralicis nova, genistetosum occidentalis nova y deschampietosum hispanicae nova, de la asociacion Genisto anglicae-Ericetum vagantis .

The High Mountain Area of Northwestern Spain: The Cantabrian Range, the Galician-Leonese Mountains and the Bierzo Trench

The Cantabrian Range, the Galician-Leonese mountains and the Bierzo trench comprise a territory in the north of the Iberian Peninsula on a wide variety of rocks and substrates and with significant climatic biodiversity. The area is covered by the two macrobioclimates existing in the whole of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands: Mediterranean and Temperate, and is part of the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean biogeographical regions This variability in geology, soil and bioclimate has given rise to a highly diverse vegetation that we synthesise as follows. In the Cantabrian Range: (1) Cryorotemperate grasslands. (2) Oro-cryorotemperate vegetation on rock fields and screes. (3) Supra-orotemperate grasslands and high-mountain pastures. (4) Cantabrian high-mountain scrubland. (5) Peat-bog vegetation. (6) Forests and woodlands dominated by Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea, Betula celtiberica, Quercus orocantabrica, Quercus rotundifolia, Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus faginea, Juniperus thurifera, Ilex aquifolium, Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia cordata, oro-Cantabrian acer woods with ash, and riparian forests and woodlands. (7) Meso-supratemperate scrublands (broom communities, spiny scrublands, heathlands, broom scrublands). (8) Meso-supratemperate meadows and grasslands. (9) Other vegetation types (aquatic vegetation, herbaceous ruderal vegetation, and others).

6. Consideraciones nomenclaturales y sistemáticas en el orden "Ammophiletalia" Br.-BI. 1933

La primera propuesta de sistematizacion fitosociologica, a nivel de alianza, de las comunidades vegetales de las dunas litorales de las costas europeas, fue la de Braun-Blanquet (Jahrb. St. Gallischen Naturwiss. Ges. 57(2): 346. 1921); alli se describe la alianza Ammophilion para incluir dos asociaciones: “Ammophila-Medicago mnarina-Assoziation” y “Crucianelletum”. La primera es el holotipo de la alianza (CEN, Art. 18), puesto que la segunda no fue validamente publicada (CPN, Art. 7). Posteriormente el mismo autor (Braun-Blanquet, Prodr. Groupements Veg. 1: 5. 1933) describe el orden Ammophiletalia para incluir las alianzas Ammophilion (holotipo del orden) y Ononidion angustissimae all. prov.

Datos sobre la vegetación arvense de la Cornisa Cantábrica

En el presente trabajo se analizan las comunidades de malas hierbas de los cultivos de huertas, maiz o patata de la Cornisa Cantabrica. Se concluye que en dicha area solo se puede reconocer una unica comunidad arvense estival ( Lamio hybridi-Echicochloetum crus-galli ) cuyo nombre se propone, para su correccion a la Comision de Nomenclatura. Dos nuevas asociaciones se proponen para las comunidades arvenses iverno-primaverales: Fumario capreolatae-Veronicetum persicae y Lamio amplexicaule-Veronicetum hederifoliae .