Biodiversity of woody species in oak woodlands of southern Spain and northern Morocco

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.

Download Full-text

Effects of Grazing Intensity on the Regeneration of Woody Species in an Oak Woodland

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha45210908 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 597-601 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aimilia LEMPESI ◽

Alexia ELEFTHERIADOU ◽

Zacharoula DELIVASI ◽

Aikaterini PSYLLIDOU ◽

Georgios KORAKIS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grazing Intensity ◽

Woody Species ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Oak Woodlands ◽

Quercus Frainetto ◽

Open Canopy ◽

Heavy Grazing ◽

Composition And Structure ◽

Mediterranean Regions ◽

Number Of Leaves

In the Mediterranean regions, oak forests are commonly used for livestock grazing. However, it is well documented that livestock grazing is an essential factor that can affect the success of natural regeneration of oak and other woody species of the understorey. Consequently, it influences the composition and structure of oak woodlands. The main objective of the present study was to examine the effects of grazing intensity on characteristics of oak seedlings establishment (density, height, number of leaves) and on the diversity of the woody species seedlings. The research was conducted in open canopy Quercus frainetto woodland, grazed by a herd of 500 goats for eight months per year, located in Evros region, north-eastern Greece. The distance from a goat corral was used to represent relative grazing intensity. In May 2016, vegetation measurements were made along transects placed at 50, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 m from the goat corral, running perpendicular to four replicates. According to the results, increased grazing intensity significantly reduced the density, the plant height and the number of leaves of Quercus frainetto seedlings. Grazing intensity did not affect significantly diversity, evenness and dominance indices for the woody species seedlings. However, heavy grazing reduced species richness and the Chao1 index.

Download Full-text

Low passive restoration potential following invasive woody species removal in oak woodlands

Restoration Ecology ◽

10.1111/rec.13568 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nathan Lamb ◽

Kayri Havens ◽

Jalen Holloway ◽

James F. Steffen ◽

Jacob Zeldin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Woody Species ◽

Oak Woodlands ◽

Passive Restoration ◽

Restoration Potential ◽

Species Removal

Download Full-text

Macrofungi diversity in cork-oak and holm-oak forests in Andalusia (southern Spain); an efficient parameter for establishing priorities for its evaluation and conservation

Open Life Sciences ◽

10.2478/s11535-007-0015-0 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 276-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Antonio Ortega ◽

Juan Lorite

Keyword(s):

Fungal Diversity ◽

Compositional Analysis ◽

Cork Oak ◽

Holm Oak ◽

Southern Spain ◽

Oak Forests ◽

Oak Woodlands ◽

Complementarity Analysis ◽

Well Differentiated ◽

Total Species

AbstractIn this work, the fungal diversity of holm-oak and cork-oak woodlands in southern Spain is studied in order to analyse the macrofungi component and its ecological characteristics, as well as to establish priorities for its conservation. For this, we have compiled published as well as unpublished data, and applied compositional analysis and statistical methods (basic statistics, non-parametric and multivariate analyses). Priority areas were selected based on complementarity analysis. As a result, 838 taxa were recorded, 78.6% in cork-oak and 76.4% in holm-oak forests, with 55.1% in common. The ratio of mycorrhizal to saprophitic species indicated that cork-oak woodlands present a higher diversity and conservation degree of its macrofungal community than holm-oak woodlands, since the mycorrhizal component is more important for the conservation of these forests (due to nutritional relations). Both forests types appear well differentiated in the multivariate analysis. In the complementarity analysis, with only one site, we recorded 40% of the total species encountered. The percentage increased to 80% with four sites. This type of approach, by highlighting the important areas for conservation of fungal diversity, constitutes a powerful tool to optimise conservation efforts.

Download Full-text