Spontaneous Primary Succession and Vascular Plant Recovery in the Iberian Gypsum Quarries: Insights for Ecological Restoration in an EU Priority Habitat
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
MDPI
Materia
Gypsophile Gypsum mining Passive restoration Permanent plots Species-Area Relationships (SAR) Successional chronosequence
Date
2023-03-03Referencia bibliográfica
Mota, J.F.; Martínez- Hernández, F.; Salmerón-Sánchez, E.; Mendoza-Fernández, A.J.; Pérez-García, F.J.; Merlo, M.E. Spontaneous Primary Succession and Vascular Plant Recovery in the Iberian Gypsum Quarries: Insights for Ecological Restoration in an EU Priority Habitat. Plants 2023, 12, 1162. [https://doi.org/10.3390/ plants12051162]
Sponsorship
Projects ‘Comparative metabarcoding of the rhizosphere in three singular edaphic environments exploited by mining: bases for sustainable development/UAL2020-RNM-B2007’; Projects ‘Assessment, Monotoring and Applied Scientific Research for Ecological Restoration of Gypsum Mining Concessions (Majadas Viejas and Marylen) and Spreading of Results (ECORESGYP)’ EXPLOTACIONES RÍO DE AGUAS S.L.; European Union’s Horizon 2020 (H2020-MSCA-RISE-777803)Abstract
Gypsum covers a vast area of the Iberian Peninsula, making Spain a leader in its production.
Gypsum is a fundamental raw material for modern societies. However, gypsum quarries have an
obvious impact on the landscape and biodiversity. Gypsum outcrops host a high percentage of
endemic plants and unique vegetation, considered a priority by the EU. Restoring gypsum areas
after mining is a key strategy to prevent biodiversity loss. For the implementation of restoration
approaches, understanding vegetation’s successional processes can be of invaluable help. To fully
document the spontaneous succession in gypsum quarries and to evaluate its interest for restoration,
10 permanent plots of 20 × 50 m were proposed, with nested subplots, in which vegetation change
was recorded for 13 years in Almeria (Spain). Through Species-Area Relationships (SARs), these
plots’ floristic changes were monitored and compared to others in which an active restoration was
carried out, as well as others with natural vegetation. Furthermore, the successional pattern found
was compared to those recorded in 28 quarries distributed throughout the Spanish territory. The
results show that an ecological pattern of spontaneous primary auto-succession is widely recurring
in Iberian gypsum quarries, which is capable of regenerating the pre-existing natural vegetation.