Paleopopulations and ecological connectivity in the Natura 2000 Network: proposal for the serpentine‑soil Spanish firs of Sierra Bermeja (Serranía de Ronda)

Abstract

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.