Fire is a recurrent disturbance in the vegetation of Mediterranean climate regions. Most of the woody species (16 out of 19) in a Mediterranean heathland community, in the Strait of Gibraltar region of southern Spain, sprouted from subterranean vegetative organs after a wild-fire. Dominant sprouters were the prostrated oak Quercus lusitanica, three gorses, Genista tridens, G. tridentata and Stauracanthus boivinii, and a heath, Erica scoparia. About 100 seedlings m-2 of 14 woody species were censused in the first three years after fire. The highest density of seedlings was recorded for heather (Calluna vulgaris), a rockrose (Cistus populifolius subsp. major) and a gorse (Genista triacanthos). Woody vegetation covered up to 85% of the soil surface in the third year after fire. At this stager the community was co-dominated by the sprouters Quercus lusitanica (21%), Genista tridentata (21%) and Stauracanthus boivinii (20%), and the seeder Cistus populifolius subsp. major (20%). A total of 52 herbaceous species, many of them (35) perennials, was recorded, showing a temporal change in species composition. The role of fire influencing community diversity and the consequences for the conservation of heathlands in the Strait of Gibraltar region, are discussed.
Economic crisis and suicidal behaviour: the role of unemployment, sex and age in Andalusia, Southern Spain
