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The distribution of Iberian gypsophilous flora as a criterion for conservation policy

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Abstract

Within the EU territory, gypsum habitats with a peculiar flora are exclusively restricted to the eastern half of the Iberian Peninsula. The Habitats Directive considers the scrublands belonging to the Gypsophiletalia order as priority habitats (habitats 1,520). Although these scrublands do not represent the only kind of vegetation associated with gypsum outcrops, they tend to occur together with other types of communities that grow exclusively on this substrate. As far as vascular flora is concerned, there are some species that grow exclusively on Iberian gypsums and are accordingly included in the Spanish Red List. Besides, given the fragmentary character and punctuated location of these outcrops, the protection of this Iberian habitat and its flora is, therefore, an enormous challenge for any preservation policy. The disjunct distribution of the flora faithfully reflects this geological feature of gypsum areas. Consequently, a proper and detailed knowledge of the distribution of the gypsophilous vascular flora can be very useful in formulating an efficient preservation policy for these habitats. Using the checklist of the Iberian gypsophilous flora, we collected a wide data base with records of distribution arranged into 10 × 10 km UTM grids. For each of the 1,241 grids where at least one gypsophyte was recorded we reckoned a series of parameters in order to determine the priority level of the flora for preservation purposes. These parameters were specific richness, gypsophily level, continuous and discontinuous rarity and endangered level. Our analyses reveal serious gaps in the Spanish network of protected sites with gypsophilous flora, the most important being located in the Hoya de Baza.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been made possible through the Proyecto de Excelencia sponsored by the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa of the Junta de Andalucía (P07-RNM-0321). In English the Project title reads: “Preservation of the genetic and floristic diversity of the gypsum outcrops of Andalucía: the challenge of sustainable development in an edaphic archipelago with quarrying activities.” Two of the authors (viz., FJPG and JAGB) are sponsored by the MICINN through the Programa Nacional de Contratación e Incorporación de Recursos Humanos. The first of these authors is in charge of the Banco de Germoplasma of the University of Almería (GERMHUAL) under the subprogramme of technical support staff and the second works for the subprogramme Torres Quevedo (PTQ-10) for the the promotion and implementation of research in industry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Almería, 04120, Almería, Spain

    Fabián Martínez-Hernández, Francisco Javier Pérez-García, Juan Antonio Garrido-Becerra, Antonio Jesús Mendoza-Fernández, José Miguel Medina-Cazorla, María Isabel Martínez-Nieto, María Encarnación Merlo Calvente & Juan Francisco Mota Poveda

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  1. Fabián Martínez-Hernández
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  2. Francisco Javier Pérez-García
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  3. Juan Antonio Garrido-Becerra
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  7. María Encarnación Merlo Calvente
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Correspondence to Fabián Martínez-Hernández.

Appendix 1: Checklist of gypsophytes of the Iberian peninsula (the number in brackets indicates the number of 10 × 10 km UTM grids where they occur). Nomenclature follows Mota et al. (2009)

Appendix 1: Checklist of gypsophytes of the Iberian peninsula (the number in brackets indicates the number of 10 × 10 km UTM grids where they occur). Nomenclature follows Mota et al. (2009)

Ononis tridentata subsp. tridentata (524), Helianthemum squamatum (339), Herniaria fruticosa (318), Launaea pumila (252), Lepidium subulatum (218), Reseda stricta subsp. stricta (218), Sideritis fruticulosa (183), Gypsophila struthium subsp. hispanica (182), Reseda barrelieri var. barrelieri (181), Gypsophila struthium subsp. struthium (155), Campanula fastigiata (139), Thymus loscosii (112), Limonium supinum (107), Frankenia thymifolia (106), Ononis tridentata var. edentula (88), Agropyron cristatum subsp. pectinatum (87), Koeleria vallesiana subsp. castellana (79), Thymus lacaitae (77), Ctenopsis gypsophila (62), Chaenorhinum exile (60), Jurinea pinnata (60), Senecio auricula subsp. sicoricus (57), Gypsophila tomentosa (55), Teucrium libanitis (54), Lepidium cardamines (50), Teucrium pumilum (50), Centaurea hyssopifolia (48), Chaenorhinum reyesii (47), Ferula loscosii (42), Helianthemum marifolium subsp. conquense (40), Moricandia moricandioides subsp. giennensis (38), Gypsophila bermejoi (37), Brassica repanda subsp. gypsicola (35), Boleum asperum (34), Reseda suffruticosa (34), Santolina viscosa (34), Arenaria cavanillesiana (26), Teucrium balthazaris (26), Moricandia moricandioides subsp. cavanillesiana (23), Senecio auricula subsp. auricula (22), Limonium thiniense (20), Krascheninnikovia ceratoides (19), Coris hispanica (17), Limonium cofrentanum (15), Chaenorhinum grandiflorum subsp. grandiflorum (14), Senecio auricula subsp. castellanus (13), Limonium lobetanicum (11), Ononis tridentata subsp. crassifolia (10), Vella pseudocytisus subsp. paui (10), Reseda stricta subsp. funkii (8), Astragalus oxyglottis (7), Hedysarum boveanum subsp. palentinum (7), Helianthemum alypoides (7), Teucrium turredanum (7), Limonium aragonense (6), Limonium minus (6), Vella pseudocytisus subsp. pseudocytisus (6), Euphorbia minuta subsp. moleroi (5), Teucrium lepicephalum (4), Limonium mansanetianum (2).

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Martínez-Hernández, F., Pérez-García, F.J., Garrido-Becerra, J.A. et al. The distribution of Iberian gypsophilous flora as a criterion for conservation policy. Biodivers Conserv 20, 1353–1364 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0031-2

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