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International audience; A large part of the soil protist diversity is missed in metabarcoding studies based on 0.25 g of soil environmental DNA (eDNA) and universal primers due to ca. 80% co-amplification of non-target plants, animals and fungi. To overcome this problem, enrichment of the substrate used for eDNA extraction is an easily implemented option but its effect has not yet been tested. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a 150 μm mesh size filtration and sedimentation method to improve the recovery of protist eDNA, while reducing the co-extraction of plant, animal and fungal eDNA, using a set of contrasted forest and alpine soils from La Réunion, Japan, Spain and Switzerland. Total eukaryotic diversity was estimated by V4 18S rRNA metabarcoding and classical amplicon sequence variant calling. A 2- to 3- fold enrichment in shelled protists (Euglyphida, Arcellinida and Chrysophyceae) was observed at the sample level with the proposed method, with, at the same time, a 2-fold depletion of Fungi and a 3- fold depletion of Embryophyceae. Protist alpha diversity was slightly lower in filtered samples due to reduced coverage in Variosea and Sarcomonadea, but significant differences were observed in only one region. Beta diversity varied mostly between regions and habitats, which explained the same proportion of variance in bulk soil and filtered samples. The increased resolution in soil protist diversity estimates provided by the filtration-sedimentation method is a strong argument in favour of including it in the standard protocol for soil protist eDNA metabarcoding studies

Conservation biology faces the challenge of safeguarding the ecosystem functions and ecological processes (the water cycle, nutrients, energy flow, and community dynamics) that sustain the multiple facets of biodiversity. Characterization and evaluation of these processes and functions can be carried out through functional attributes or traits related to the exchanges of matter and energy between vegetation and the atmosphere. Based on this principle, satellite imagery can provide integrative spatiotemporal characterizations of ecosystem functions at local to global scales. Here, we provide a multitemporal dataset at protected-area level that characterizes the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of ecosystem functioning in the Biosphere Reserve of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), captured through the spectral Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI, using product MOD13Q1.006 from the MODIS sensor) from 2001 to 2018. The database contains, at the annual scale, a synthetic map of Ecosystem Functional Type (EFT) classes from three Ecosystem Functional Attributes (EFAs): (i) descriptors of annual primary production, (ii) seasonality, and (iii) phenology of carbon gains. It also includes two ecosystem functional-diversity indices derived from the above datasets: (i) EFT richness and (ii) EFT rarity. Finally, it provides interannual summaries for all previously mentioned variables, i.e., their long-term means and interannual variability. The datasets are available at two open-source sites (PANGAEA: https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.924792; Cazorla et al., 2020a; interannual summaries at http://obsnev.es/apps/efts_SN.html, last access: 17 April 2023). This dataset provides scientists, environmental managers, and the public in general with valuable information on the first characterization of ecosystem functional diversity based on primary production developed in the Sierra Nevada, a biodiversity hotspot in the Mediterranean basin and an exceptional natural laboratory for ecological research within the Long-Term Social-Ecological Research (LTER) network. This research has been supported by the Plan Propio PhD program of the University of Almería; projects EarthCul (reference PID2020-118041GB-I00); INDALO (grant no. LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01); LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01_WP-8, LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01_WP-7, and LifeWatch-2019-10-UGR-01_WP-4; ECOPOTENTIAL grant agreement no. 641762; “Ecosystem and Socio-Ecosystem Functional Types: Integrating biophysical and social functions to characterize and map the ecosystems of the Anthropocene” (CGL2014-61610-EXP); Project LIFE-ADAPTAMED (LIFE14 CCA/ES/000612); Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fund (APOSTD/2021/188).

A large part of the soil protist diversity is missed in metabarcoding studies based on 0.25 g of soil environmental DNA (eDNA) and universal primers due to ca. 80 % co-amplification of non-target plants, animals and fungi. To overcome this problem, enrichment of the substrate used for eDNA extraction is an easyly implemented option but its effect has not yet been tested. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a 150 µm mesh size filtration and sedimentation method to improve the recovery of protist eDNA, while reducing the co-extraction of plant, animal and fungal eDNA, using a set of contrasted forest and alpine soils from La Réunion, Japan, Spain and Switzerland. Biodiversity of the whole eukaryotic community was estimated with V4 18S rRNA metabarcoding and classical amplicon sequence variant calling. A 2-3-fold enrichment in shelled protists (Euglyphida, Arcellinida and Chrysophyceae) was observed at the sample level with the proposed method, with, at the same time, a 2-fold depletion of Fungi and a 3-fold depletion of Embryophyceae. Protist alpha diversity was slightly lower in filtered samples due to reduced coverage in Variosea and Sarcomonadea, but significant differences were observed in only one region. Beta diversity was mostly impacted by region and habitat, and explained the same variance in bulk soil and filtered samples. The increase resolution in the soil protist diversity provided by the filtration-sedimentation method is a strong argument to include it in the standard preparation of any future soil for protist eDNA metabarcoding studies.

Preserving the genetic diversity of forest species is critical for maintaining their adaptive potential and allowing for generation turnover in forest ecosystems. Considering an uncertain future, it is necessary to establish reliable genetic conservation strategies to optimize the genetic variation preserved within populations in a spatially explicit context to assist decision-makers. Hence, we aimed to incorporate genetic information into spatially designed conservation actions. Cedrus atlantica is a large, long-lived conifer native to the mountains of North Africa, threatened by extinction. The relevant genetic units for conservation were selected using Bayesian analysis. The relative contribution of the populations to the genetic pool that maximized the species' genetic diversity was calculated to design an optimal seed bank. Finally, the relationship between the genetic composition and bioclimatic variables was estimated and projected throughout the study area under current and future climatic conditions. Three relevant genetic units were found for C. atlantica conservation that maximizes genetic diversity in a spatial context. Bioclimatic variables with the highest influence on genetic composition were closely related to climate warming and decreased soil water availability. We identified the role of genetic markers in designing a reliable conservation strategy for forest trees considering climate change, increased deforestation, and aridity. Projections of genetic composition due to the climate in the study region of North Africa provide spatially explicit guidance for optimizing the selection and preservation of seed banks., Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation RTI2018-101714- B-I00, Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society A-RNM-688-UGR20 B-RNM-404-UGR18 P18-RT-1170 P18-RT-4963

Preserving the genetic diversity of forest species is critical for maintaining their adaptive potential and allowing for generation turnover in forest ecosystems. Considering an uncertain future, it is necessary to establish reliable genetic conservation strategies to optimize the genetic variation preserved within populations in a spatially explicit context to assist decision-makers. Hence, we aimed to incorporate genetic information into spatially designed conservation actions.

Background – Biodiversity loss is a problem that needs to be urgently addressed, particularly with the uncertainties of climate change. Current conservation policies principally focus on endangered species but they often give little consideration to the evolutionary processes, genetic diversity, or the rarity of nonendangered species. Endemic species occurring in rocky habitats that are undergoing exceptional habitat loss appear to be one of the most important candidates for conservation. The aim is to establish in situ and ex situ conservation recommendations for the Mediterranean endemic species Arenaria balearica. Material and methods – Arenaria balearica is a species endemic to the Mediterranean with a disjunct distribution range throughout Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia, and other small Tyrrhenian islands. A combination of molecular techniques (AFLPs and plastid DNA) was employed to determine genetic diversity and rarity across populations and to calculate the Relevant Genetic Units for Conservation (RGUCs). Moreover, Species Distribution Models (SDMs) were developed to assess the potential current distribution and the expected situation under future climatic scenarios. Key results – To preserve the genetic diversity and rarity of the species, in situ conservation is proposed for six populations as RGUCs. Moreover, as the RGUCs can only account for a part of the phylogeographic signal, ex situ conservation is also suggested for some additional populations. According to the results, the habitat suitability in the 2050 scenario is limited and suitable areas for A. balearica could have disappeared by 2070. Therefore, the persistence of the species could be in danger in a short period of time and conservation planning becomes necessary., Instituto de Salud Carlos III Spanish Government CGL2010-16357

During the last decades, phylogeography has transformed the ways to analyze and understand plant diversity and biogeography. The repeated and increasingly detailed articles made from DNA data with phylogeographical procedures and algorithms have revolutionized biodiversity research, particularly on biodiversity conservation. This paper presents a systematic literature review of the different ways in which phylogeography has been applied to plants in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), especially to rare, threatened, and endemic plants. Studies ranged from basic research to how phylogeography is actually contributing to management conservation of Mediterranean plants. Finally, new and future phylogeography perspectives with integrative scientific arguments and conceptual bases applied to plant conservation biology are discussed.

Organisms modify their geographical distributions in response to changes in environmental conditions, or modify their affinity to such conditions, to avoid extinction. This study explored the altitudinal shift of Abies pinsapo Boiss. in the Baetic System. We analysed the potential distribution of the realised and reproductive niches of A. pinsapo populations in the Ronda Mountains (Southern Spain) by using species distribution models (SDMs) for two life stages within the current populations. Then, we calculated the species’ potential altitudinal shifts and identified the areas in which the processes of persistence and migration predominated. The realised and reproductive niches of A. pinsapo are different to one another, which may indicate a displacement in its altitudinal distribution owing to changes in the climatic conditions of the Ronda Mountains. The most unfavourable conditions for the species indicate a trailing edge (~110 m) at the lower limit of its distribution and a leading edge (~55 m) at the upper limit. Even though the differences in the altitudinal shifts between the trailing and leading edges will not cause the populations to become extinct in the short term, they may threaten their viability if the conditions that are producing the contraction at the lower limit persist in the long term., This research was funded by (i) Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society: MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT4963); (iii) ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme): RELIC-FLORA 2 Research Project (B-RNM-404-UGR18); and (iv) State Program for the Promotion of Scientific Research and Excellence Technique: PALEOPINSAPO Research Project (CSO2017-83576-P). The APC was funded by (i) Spanish government, State R&D Program Oriented to the Challenges of the Society: MED-REFUGIA Research Project (RTI2018-101714-B-I00); and (ii) Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: OROMEDREFUGIA Research Project (P18-RT-4963).

Conservation Biology faces the challenge of safeguarding the ecosystem functions and ecological processes (water cycle, nutrients, energy flow, and community dynamics) that sustain the multiple facets of biodiversity. Characterization and evaluation of these processes and functions can be carried out through functional attributes or traits related to the exchanges of matter and energy between vegetation and the atmosphere. Based on this principle, satellite imagery can provide integrative spatiotemporal characterizations of ecosystem functions at local to global scales. Here, we provide a multi-temporal dataset at protected area level, that characterizes the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of ecosystem functioning in the Biosphere Reserve of Sierra Nevada (Spain), captured through the spectral vegetation index EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index, product MOD13Q1.006 from MODIS sensor) from 2001 to 2018. The database contains, at the annual scale, a synthetic map of Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs) classes from three Ecosystem Functional Attributes (EFAs): i) descriptors of annual primary production, ii) seasonality, and iii) phenology of carbon gains. It also includes two ecosystem functional diversity indices derived from the above datasets: i) EFT richness, and ii) EFT rarity. Finally, it provides inter-annual summaries for all previous variables, i.e., their long-term means and inter-annual variabilities. The datasets are available in two open-source sites (PANGAEA: https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.924792 (Cazorla et al., 2020a) and http://obsnev.es/apps/efts_SN.html). This dataset brings to scientists, managers, and the general public, valuable information on the first characterization of ecosystem functional diversity based on primary production developed in Sierra Nevada, a biodiversity hotspot in the Mediterranean basin, and an exceptional natural laboratory for ecological research within the Long-Term Social-Ecological Research (LTSER) network.

This Special Issue provides an overview of the current status of plant conservation biology in Spain and other regions around the World. Papers represent selected outstanding presentations made during the 9th Congress of the Spanish Society of Plant Conservation Biology, which took place in Granada (Spain) on July 9-12, 2019. These papers cover different topics, all illustrating present trends in plant conservation biology. They highlight the important contribution of different approaches to plant conservation in the area. This special issue is dedicated to the memory of the Spanish botanist José Antonio Fernández Prieto (1950-2019).

Large-scale ecological variations across Earth have important consequences for biodiversity and, therefore, forbiological conservation. Despite the widespread use of ecological maps in conservation schemes, they have been basedmainly on structural and compositional features but scarcely on functional dimensions of life. Incorporating functionalvariables complements and improves the descriptions of regionalizations and offers a new understanding of biodiversitypatterns. The development of remote sensing measurement allows for the description of the functional patterns of ecosystemsthrough Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs), opening new opportunities to analyze the geography of life. This articleaims to examine the relationships between ecological regionalization based on components and structure and patternsof ecosystem functioning. As proof of case, we chose the Baja California peninsula, whose singularity has generated arich variety of ecological and biogeographical interpretations, mainly based on ecosystem components and structure. Wehypothesize that patterns in ecosystem functioning reflect ecoregionalization based on composition and structure features.We identified Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs), from three descriptors of the seasonal curves of MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2001 to 2017. We characterized each ecoregion in terms of ecosystem functioning and we carried out a correspondence analysis between the EFTs classification and the ecoregions. At a large scale, EFTs showed a pattern with three general regions from northwest to south, capturing the north-south transition of climatic regimes shown in the ecoregions map, from the northwestern Mediterranean area to the southern tropical zone, with a desert transitionarea between them. However, differences between the functional characterization and some ecoregions were detectedin ecoregions identified as discrepancy areas between authors. In particular, some ecoregions considered Mediterraneanshowed a Desert character in its functioning, and others considered as Desert were Tropical functionally. EFTs remotelysensed measured at regional scales provide the basis for a more comprehensive regionalization of geographical patterns oflife and, therefore, an improvement for future conservation purposes.

This work was partially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad through the projects CGL2010-16357 and CGL201232574. E. SalmeronSanchez was supported by the University of Almeria, through the projects 'Assessment, Monitoring and Applied Scientific Research for Ecological Restoration of Gypsum Mining Concessions (Majadas Viejas and Marylen) and Spreading of Results (ECORESGYP) ' sponsored by the company EXPLOTACIONES RIO DE AGUAS S.L. (TORRALBA GROUP) ; 'Provision of services, monitoring and evaluation of the environmental restoration of the mining concessions Los Yesares, Maria Morales and El Cigarron' sponsored by the company Saint Gobain Placo Iberica S. We would like to thank M. Montserrat MartinezOrtega helped with field work and initial analyses., The authors would like to thank M. Montserrat Martínez-Ortega, Luz M. Mu˜noz-Centeno, Fabi´an Martínez-Hern´andez, Sara Barrios and Teresa Malvar for their participation in DNA extractions, molecular analyses and in general for the help provided. We also thank Sara Barrios, María Santos, Santiago Andr´es, Blas Benito and Antonio Abad for the help provided in the collection of plant material. Finally, we are thankful to Francisco J. P´erez-García for his valuable comments concerning halogypsophyte species., Conservation genetics is a well-established and essential scientific field in the toolkit of conservation planning, management, and decision-making. Within its framework, phylogeography allows the definition of conservation strategies, especially in threatened endemic plants. Gypsum and salt-rich outcrops constitute a model example of an edaphic island-like habitat and contain rare and endemic species, many of them threatened. This is the case of Jacobaea auricula, an Iberian gypsohalophytic species with biological, ecological, and conservation interest. Genetic-based criteria were used to preserve the highest possible percentage of the species' genetic pool as well as to dispose of a set of genotypes for translocation and/or reinforcement planning of degraded populations. Relevant Genetics Units for Conservation (RGUCs) were selected as in situ conservation planning. As a complementary ex situ measure, the optimal contribution for the populations to maximize the genetic pool within each genetic cluster was calculated. To preserve the maximum genetic diversity and the highest percentage of rare AFLP bands possible, eight RGUCs were selected; the ex situ conservation design included twenty-one populations, gathering all haplotypes and ribotypes. Our genetic conservation proposal of J. auricula would improve the implementation of future genetic conservation measures, as a species model of endemic plants from edaphic habitat islands., Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad CGL2010-16357 CGL2012-32574, University of Almeria - company EXPLOTACIONES RIO DE AGUAS S.L. (TORRALBA GROUP), company Saint Gobain Placo Iberica S

Conservation biology must set geographic conservation priorities not only based on the compositional or structural but also on the functional dimensions of biodiversity. However, assessing functional diversity is challenging at the regional scale. We propose the use of satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs), defined here as patches of land surface that share similar primary production dynamics, to incorporate such aspects of ecosystem functional diversity into the selection of protected areas. We applied the EFT approach to the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico, to characterize the regional heterogeneity of primary production dynamics in terms of EFTs; to set conservation priorities based on EFT richness and rarity; and to explore whether such EFT-based conservation priorities were consistent with and/or complementary to previous assessments focused on biodiversity composition and structure. EFTs were identified based on three ecosystem functional attributes derived from seasonal dynamics of the Enhanced Vegetation Index: the annual mean (proxy of primary production), the seasonal coefficient of variation (descriptor of seasonality), and the date of maximum (indicator of phenology). EFT-based priorities identified 26% of the peninsula as being of extreme or high priority and reinforced the value of the ecosystem functional diversity of areas already prioritized by traditional conservation assessments. In addition, our study revealed that biodiversity composition- and structure-based assessments had not identified the full range of important areas for EFT diversity and tended to better capture areas of high EFT rarity than those of high EFT richness. Our EFT-based assessment demonstrates how remotely sensed regional heterogeneity in ecosystem functions could reinforce and complement traditional conservation priority setting., European Union (EU), Spanish MINECO CGL2014-61610-EXP, University of Almeria (PhD contract: research training program), European Union (EU) 641762, NASA 2016 GEOBON Work Programme Grant 80NSSC18K0446

Las Islas Chafarinas constituyen una importante área de biodiversidad en el Mar de Alborán (Mediterráneo occidental) que se encuentra bajo protección. Presentamos un nuevo registro de presencia de Caulerpa cylindracea para las islas, un taxón invasor agresivo y de rápida expansión introducido en el mar Mediterráneo hace unos años. Alertamos sobre una posible invasión en esta importante reserva marina.

Moehringia. sect. Pseudomoehringia McNeill is endemic to the western Mediterranean, having its origin and diversification centre in the Iberian Peninsula and mountains of northern Morocco. Both the...

Quaternary glacial cycles appear to have had a consistent role in shaping the genetic diversity and structure of plant species. Despite the unusual combination of the characteristics of the western Mediterranean– Macaronesian area, there are no studies that have specifically examined the effects of palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic factors on the genetic composition and structure of annual herbs. Astragalus edulis is a disjunct endemic found in the easternmost Canary Islands and the semi-arid areas of north-eastern Africa and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. This endangered species shows no evident adaptations to long-distance dispersal. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) data and plastid DNA sequences were analysed from a total of 360 individuals distributed throughout the range of this species. The modelled potential distribution of A. edulis under current conditions was projected over the climatic conditions of the Last Interglacial (130 ka BP) and Last Glacial Maximum (21 ka BP) to analyse changes in habitat suitability and to look for associations between the modelling and genetic results. Amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis showed clear phylogeographic structure with four distinct genetic clusters. Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) models based on plastid DNA sequences indicated a Middle Pleistocene long-distance dispersal event as the origin of the populations of the Canary Islands. The models also suggested south-western Morocco as the ancestral area for the species, as well as subsequent colonization of north-eastern Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula. The data compiled indicated the possibility of the presence of refuge areas at favourable locations around the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas mountain ranges. Moreover, palaeodistribution models strongly support the events inferred by ABC modelling and show the potential distribution of the species in the past, suggesting a putative colonization route., This work has been financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through the projects CGL2012- 32574 and REN2003-09427, as well as by the Andalusian Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Tecnología through the project RNM1067. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.

Detecting smaller hotspots within larger hotspots could be an essential tool to focus conservation efforts. In this study, we identified hotspots at two scales of analysis within the Mediterranean overall hotspot. Particularly, based on the distribution of endemic-vascular-plant richness (EVPR), we identified micro-hotspots, among the richest floristic territories of the Sardinian and Baetic regions, and nano-hotspots, among the richest 1-km2 grid cells of Sierra Nevada and Gennargentu massifs, located within these regions. In addition, we explored environmental drivers of EVPR, performing both simple- and multiple-regression models. Our results showed that even in areas previously defined as hotspots, the endemic-plant richness was not uniformly distributed, but rather depended largely on environmental conditions. Relationships between environmental drivers and EVPR have been poorly studied in the Mediterranean context, where we found patterns consistent among scales and regions. Specifically, EVPR was positively linked to altitude and precipitation, particularly in the driest period. Hence, the different levels of hotspots nested in hotspots were organized in a hierarchy. This downscaling approach may help to focus conservation efforts within a given hotspot, e.g. the identification of narrow hotspots could be useful to find gaps in the protected-area networks. Specifically, the identified nano-hotspots are certainly priority sites for plant conservation, since the whole of the nano-hotspots in each region represented less than 1% of the surface area but contained more than 19% of the regional EVPR. Moreover, an examination of both where hotspots are and under what environmental conditions they appear, would enable the detection of specific threats.

Ononis tridentata L. subsp. crassifolia (Leguminosae) is a narrow endemic plant restricted to gypsum outcrops in south-east Spain. Its habitat and populations are currently threatened by anthropogenic disturbance. Because of the paucity of information concerning its distribution, abundance and response to disturbance, we assessed its status and evaluated the impacts of quarrying, ploughing, grazing and afforestation. Distribution and population size were estimated by field surveys, censuses and mapping. We measured cover, plant volume, fruit and seed production, seed predation and seedling recruitment to asses any effects of disturbance. The species’ area of occupancy is 1.6 km2 and its extent of occurrence 337 km2, in 29 habitat patches and 16 populations between 705 and 1,125 m altitude, and its population size was estimated to be 531,605. Quarrying, ploughing, overgrazing and afforestation negatively affected the species, in this order. We recommend this subspecies be categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. A species recovery plan is required, and the ecological restoration of altered areas would mitigate negative effects on the species and improve the overall conservation of gypsum habitats.

Although it has been traditionally accepted that Arenaria balearica (Caryophyllaceae) could be a relict Tertiary plant species, this has never been experimentally tested. Nor have the palaeohistorical reasons underlying the highly fragmented distribution of the species in the Western Mediterranean region been investigated. We have analysed AFLP data (213) and plastid DNA sequences (226) from a total of 250 plants from 29 populations sampled throughout the entire distribution range of the species in Majorca, Corsica, Sardinia, and the Tuscan Archipelago. The AFLP data analyses indicate very low geographic structure and population differentiation. Based on plastid DNA data, six alternative phylogeographic hypotheses were tested using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC). These analyses revealed ancient area fragmentation as the most probable scenario, which is in accordance with the star-like topology of the parsimony network that suggests a pattern of long term survival and subsequent in situ differentiation. Overall low levels of genetic diversity and plastid DNA variation were found, reflecting evolutionary stasis of a species preserved in locally long-term stable habitats., Grant Disclosures: The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación: CGL2010-16357, CGL2009-07555, CGL2012- 32574. AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo).

Question How does the sowing of native species under different soil treatments contribute to the recovery of gypsum habitats affected by quarrying in Mediterranean environments? Location Mediterranean gypsum outcrops in Granada (SE Spain; 37o2′ N, 3o45′ W). Methods We conducted an experimental sowing of native perennial species from gypsum habitats (both gypsophiles and gypsovags) considering two factors: bedding materials and surface treatments. For bedding material we used: gypsum spoil, topsoil addition on gypsum spoil, raw gypsum and topsoil removal. The surface treatments were: control, sowing, sowing plus organic matter and sowing plus an organic blanket. There were five replicates per combination treatment (80 plots in total, of 25 m2 each). The sowing was performed in Nov 2009. All subplots were monitored to estimate density, richness, survival, growth of seedlings and herbaceous biomass, in two monitoring periods (Jul and Oct). Results No gypsophiles or gypsovags were found in the control plots (no sowing or surface treatment), and therefore natural succession proved ineffective in the first year. In contrast, sowing was very satisfactory, especially on gypsum spoil, where mean density was of more than 15 individuals m−2. This result is noteworthy as this material remains after the end of gypsum mining activity. Spreading topsoil over gypsum spoil proved to be no more positive, since it provided not only seeds of target species but also of competitor species. Also, with regard to herbaceous species, this treatment produced a highly significant increase of biomass. The organic blanket increased plant density, whereas the addition of organic matter had significant positive effects on survival and growth of the seedlings. The global high survival rate is remarkable, especially for the gypsum spoil treatment. Conclusions We highlight the importance of implementing recovery measures in gypsum habitats. An appropriate selection of seed mixture and density, as well as the use of gypsum spoil (the most favourable bedding material, according the results), is sufficient to ensure presence of the key species. Both technical solutions tested, organic blanket installation and organic matter addition, improved the results in terms of density, survival and growth of the seedlings.

Artemisia granatensis Boiss. is a paradigmatic species for plant conservation in Spain and Europe. It is a critically endangered (CR) endemic species growing above 2500 m in the Sierra Nevada (southern Spain). Natural populations have been considerably devastated in the past due to intensive human exploitation for folk medicine. The sparse available data concerning the reproductive biology of this species under natural conditions indicate a low reproductive success. To provide additional information on the reproductive biology of A. granatensis, and consequently information useful for the management and conservation of this species, we studied the breeding system through pollen-tube growth. In addition, some floral and pollen traits were recorded. No differences were found between populations in terms of the morphological traits of flowers and inflorescences. A. granatensis is an anemophilous species, and the data indicate that pollen transfer may be limited between isolated populations, and so contributing to an extremely low fruit-set. Results show A. granatensis is selfincompatible, probably with a sporophytic self-incompatibility system, and with no evidence of partial self-incompatibility. Reproductive traits, related to pollen morphology and settling speed may explain the low rate of recruitment in the small populations separated by geographical barriers. Artemisia granatensis Boiss. es una especie paradigmática en la conservación de flora a nivel español y europeo. Es una especie catalogada como En Peligro Crítico (CR) endémica de Sierra Nevada (sur de España), donde habita por encima de los 2500 m. Las poblaciones naturales han sido casi exterminadas en el pasado debido a una recolección masiva de la especie, utilizada en medicina popular. Los escasos datos disponibles acerca de su biología reproductiva en condiciones naturales indican que existe un bajo éxi to reproductivo. Con el objetivo de proporcionar información adicional acerca de la biología reproductiva de A. granatensis, útil para la conservación y el manejo de la especie, evaluamos el sistema de compatibilidad a través del crecimiento del tubo polínico. Además se registraron datos sobre algunos rasgos florales y polínicos de la especie. No se encontraron diferencias entre poblaciones en términos de rasgos morfológicos de flores e inflorescencias. A. granatensis es una especie anemófila para la cual los datos obtenidos sobre capacidad de dispersión sugieren que la transferencia de polen podría ser difícil entre poblaciones aisladas o muy distanciadas, pudiendo ser un factor más a tener en cuenta entre las causas que provocan un limitado éxito reproductivo y una paupérrima producción de semillas. Los resultados muestran que A. granatensis tiene autoincompatibilidad esporofítica sin evidencias de autoincompatibilidad parcial. Los rasgos reproductivos relacionados con la morfología y la velocidad de sedimentación del polen pueden explicar la baja tasa de reclutamiento de poblaciones pequeñas, a veces separadas por barreras geográficas. This work has been partly financed by the Spanish Education and Science Ministry (project reference REN2003-09427-C02), and partly by the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Tecnología de la Junta de Andalucía (project reference P05-RNM1067).

Habitat fragmentation due to human activities is one of the most important causes of biodiversity loss. In Mediterranean areas the species have co-evolved with traditional farming, which has recently been replaced for more severe and aggressive practices. We use a methodological approach that enables the evaluation of the impact that agriculture and land use changes have for the conservation of sensitive species. As model species, we selected Linaria nigricans, a critically endangered plant from arid and semiarid ecosystems in south-eastern Spain. A chronosequence of the evolution of the suitable habitat for the species over more than 50 years has been reconstructed and several geometrical fragmentation indices have been calculated. A new index called fragmentation cadence (FC) is proposed to quantify the historical evolution of habitat fragmentation regardless of the habitat size. The application of this index has provided objective forecasting of the changes of each remnant population of L. nigricans. The results indicate that greenhouses and construction activities (mainly for tourist purposes) exert a strong impact on the populations of this endangered species. The habitat depletion showed peaks that constitute the destruction of 85% of the initial area in only 20 years for some populations of L. nigricans. According to the forecast established by the model, a rapid extinction could take place and some populations may disappear as early as the year 2030. Fragmentation-cadence analysis can help identify population units of primary concern for its conservation, by means of the adoption of improved management and regulatory measures.

In this paper we study an isolated high-mountain (Sierra Nevada, SE Iberian Peninsula) to identify the potential trends in the habitat-suitability of five key species (i. e. species that domain a given vegetation type and drive the conditions for appearance of many other species) corresponding to four vegetation types occupying different altitudinal belts, that might result from a sudden climatic shift. We used topographical variables and downscaled climate warming simulations to build a high-resolution spatial database (10 m) according to four different climate warming scenarios for the twenty-first century. The spatial changes in the suitable habitat were simulated using a species distribution model, in order to analyze altitudinal shifts and potential habitat loss of the key species. Thus, the advance and receding fronts of known occurrence locations were computed by introducing a new concept named differential suitability, and potential patterns of substitution among the key species were established. The average mean temperature trend show an increase of 4. 8°C, which will induce the vertical shift of the suitable habitat for all the five key species considered at an average rate of 11. 57 m/year. According to the simulations, the suitable habitat for the key species inhabiting the summit area, where most of the endemic and/or rare species are located, may disappear before the middle of the century. The other key species considered show moderate to drastic suitable habitat loss depending on the considered scenario. Climate warming should provoke a strong substitution dynamics between species, increasing spatial competition between both of them. In this study, we introduce the application of differential suitability concept into the analysis of potential impact of climate change, forest management and environmental monitoring, and discuss the limitations and uncertainties of these simulations.

In this paper, we assess the results found in the restoration of vegetation on ski runs in the Mediterranean high mountain, contrasting different issues widely used for evaluating recovery plans, such as cover, richness, diversity, growth, and qualitative species composition, with the aim of establishing their relative validity as well as finding a straightforward model to assess the success of the restoration of degraded areas. Ski runs were selected in Sierra Nevada ski station (SE Spain) in which hydroseeding was performed from 2002 to 2005. The sampling design was based on a chronosequence approach, using natural areas established as ‘models’ (i.e. target for long-term restoration) to evaluate the restoration success based on the similarity to the model. Although parameters such as growth, cover, and even richness or diversity reached similar values to the ones in the model areas after 4 years (i.e. natural perennial mountain pastures), other indicators such as composition, measured in a qualitative way as the ratio of colonizing species to total species, showed different occurrence values for the most abundant species. Moreover, when the whole pool of species was taken into account using discriminant analysis, the results differed, showing that although the process performed well, the recovery (sensu stricto) requires longer periods than the duration assessed to be fully successful. The results showed that common parameters, such as growth, cover, richness, or diversity, when used solely may lead to misinterpretation, and therefore additional methods to compare composition, such as the discriminant analysis, are strongly recommended.