The Role of Snow-Related Environmental Variables in Plant Conservation Plans in the Mediterranean Mountains

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the effects that snow cover may have on the survival of one-year-old seedlings from 15 different taxa in the Mediterranean high mountains (Sierra Nevada National Park, SE Spain) in order to have clearer criteria for the planning and management of restoration efforts in these environments. Additionally, the influence of variables that have been scarcely explored up to now is also revised. We use the survival rates of the seedlings observed from the ecological restoration trial as reference values. The survival data analyzed are based on six variables to evaluate their effects. The results confirm that the permanence of snow is a favorable factor for seedlings, independent of the plant community. Contrastingly, a specific type of foundation (stones and rocks) stands out for being clearly unfavorable, regardless of other variables. For both altitude and solar radiation, a worsening of the survival ratio has been observed as they increase. The species’ geographic ranges are all shown to be unfavorable for taxa of a boreo-alpine distribution. Finally, the plant community does not have a significant influence on the survival of seedlings. These results provide novel indications to improve the results of the first stages of restoration work in the Mediterranean high mountains. They are also valuable for the management and cataloging of threatened flora, as well as having direct applications in recovery plans and protection lists.