@misc{10481/71599,
year = {2021},
url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10481/71599},
abstract = {Land abandonment is a major global change driver in the Mediterranean region, where
anthropic activity has played an important role in shaping landscape configuration. Understanding
the woodland expansion towards abandoned croplands is critical to develop effective management
strategies. In this study, we analyze the colonization pattern of abandoned croplands by Quercus
pyrenaica in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (southern Spain). We aimed to assess differences
among populations within the rear edge of the Q. pyrenaica distribution. For this purpose, we characterized (i) the colonization pattern of Q. pyrenaica, (ii) the structure of the seed source (surrounding
forests), and (iii) the abundance of the main seed disperser (Eurasian jay, Garrulus glandarius). The
study was conducted in five abandoned croplands located in two representative populations of Q.
pyrenaica located on contrasting slopes. Vegetation plots within three habitat types (mature forest,
edge-forest and abandoned cropland) were established to compute the abundance of oak juveniles.
The abundance of European jay was determined using data of bird censuses (covering 7 years). Our
results indicate that a natural recolonization of abandoned croplands by Q. pyrenaica is occurring in
the rear edge of the distribution of this oak species. Oak juvenile abundance varied between study
sites. Neither the surrounding-forest structure nor the abundance of jays varied significantly between
study sites. The differences in the recolonization patterns seem to be related to differences in the
previous- and post-abandonment management.},
organization = {LIFE-ADAPTAMED (LIFE14CCA/ES/000612)
project},
organization = {MIGRAME Project (Excellence Research Group Programme of the Andalusian Government
(RNM 6734)},
organization = {eLTER H2020 project},
publisher = {MDPI},
keywords = {Mountain abandoned croplands},
keywords = {Land-use legacies},
keywords = {Sierra Nevada},
keywords = {Pyrenean oak},
keywords = {Mediterranean mountain},
keywords = {Herbivory},
keywords = {Post-abandonment management},
title = {Colonization Pattern of Abandoned Croplands by Quercus pyrenaica in a Mediterranean Mountain Region},
doi = {10.3390/f12111584},
author = {Pérez Luque, Antonio Jesús and Bonet García, Francisco Javier and Zamora Rodríguez, Regino Jesús},
}