Paleopopulations and ecological connectivity in the Natura 2000 Network: proposal for the serpentine‑soil Spanish firs of Sierra Bermeja (Serranía de Ronda)
Metadatos
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Springer
Materia
Abies pinsapo Ecological corridor Local extinctions Pedoanthracology Special areas of conservation
Fecha
2023-04-25Referencia bibliográfica
Gómez Zotano, J. et al. Paleopopulations and ecological connectivity in the Natura 2000 Network: proposal for the serpentine‑soil Spanish firs of Sierra Bermeja (Serranía de Ronda). Environmental Earth Sciences (2023) 82:220 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-10912-4]
Patrocinador
Universidad de Granada/CBUA; Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deportes del Gobierno de Espana) 18/03023; State Research Agency (SRA); European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): PALEOPINSAPO CSO2017-83576-P; European Regional Development Fund (ERDF): MED-REFUGIA RTI2018-101714-B-I00; European Commission TED2021-132631B-I00; Andalusian Plan for Research, Development and Innovation: Oromed-Refugia P18-RT- 4963; ERDF Operational Programme in Andalusia (EU regional programme): ForestMed (A-RNM-688-UGR20Resumen
One of the conservation priorities of the Natura 2000 Network is the ecological connectivity of forests and species of com-
munity interest to facilitate compliance with the obligations of the EU Habitats Directive. The location of paleo-populations
and past distribution areas is a first step towards creating an ecological corridor which, with the protection enjoyed by
Special Areas of Conservation, could positively impact the resilience of forest species in the face of Climate Change. The
endangered relict forests of Spanish fir (Abies pinsapo) are endemic in the Serranía de Ronda (Baetic Cordillera, Southern
Spain) and form a highly fragmented habitat of community interest. Amongst these forests, the Spanish fir forests that grow
on serpentine soils are particularly interesting. This ultramafic mountain range has suffered the highest recurrence of forest
fires in all the Serranía de Ronda, and as a result, the Spanish fir forests have been subject to processes of local extinction
throughout history. In this research, we used pedoanthracology to uncover ancient locations of Abies pinsapo; in this way,
forest fires are the main cause of the disappearance of this emblematic species in Sierra Bermeja, and their charcoal remains
allowed us to make a precise reconstruction of its past distribution area. On the basis of the data obtained, an ecological
corridor linking these relict forests was proposed. This corridor has now begun to be implemented with the participation of
public and private social agents.