Distribution Area of Juniperus Oxycedrus L. in Central Spain (Madrid) Distribution De Juniperus Oxycedrus L
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18-art-18-vol39(1)-corT-ok2_Mise en page 1 15/07/13 09:58 Page181 Distribution area of Juniperus oxycedrus L. in Central Spain (Madrid) Distribution de Juniperus oxycedrus L. dans la région de Madrid (Espagne) F. ALLENDE ÁLVAREZ1, P. DE LAS HERAS PUÑAL2, P. FERNÁNDEZ-SAÑUDO3, N. LÓPEZ ESTÉBANEZ1, M. J. ROLDÁN MARTÍN3 1. Department of Geograph, Autónoma University of Madrid, Faculty of Arts and Humanities 2. Department of Ecology, Complutense University of Madrid 3. Environmental Research Centre of Madrid Region Corresponding author: Fernando Allende Álvarez Department of Geography Autónoma University of Madrid Faculty of Arts and Humanities Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 1. 28049 Madrid, Spain E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Résumé The Iberian populations of Juniperus oxycedrus Les populations ibériques de Juniperus oxyce- L. subsp. oxycedrus have been studied by several drus L. subsp. oxycedrus L. ont été étudiées par authors who consider their condition as plusieurs auteurs qui considèrent leur état de unfavourable. In the Madrid Region, current conservation comme mauvais. Dans la région de status, dynamic and distribution area are Madrid, la situation actuelle, la dynamique et unknown even when their populations, specifi- l’aire de répartition de ces junipéraies sont mal cally those who form arborescent shrubs, are connues, même si celles qui sont arborescentes included in the type 5210 (Habitat Directive sont incluses dans le type 5210 (directive Habi- 92/43/EEC). These formations are developed in tat 92/43/CEE). Ces formations sont développées austere Mediterranean mountain typical of agro dans des ambiances montagnardes méditerra- ecosystems of high value that have interesting néennes continentales, où se développent des dynamics of recolonization, especially in those agro-écosystèmes de grande valeur présentant areas where agricultural and livestock systems une dynamique intéressante de recolonisation, have suffered a setback. This study aims to liée à la déprise agricole. Cette étude vise à understand the distribution of juniper in the mieux comprendre la répartition du Cade dans region of Madrid as the first step to identify and la région de Madrid, première étape à la com- assess the dynamic changes in recent decades. préhension et à l’évaluation des changements To update the cartography of this species the dynamiques intervenus dans les dernières available information has been checked and décennies. completed with photointerpretation and field- Pour mettre à jour la cartographie de cette work. Based on this cartography and the infor- espèce, l’information disponible a été vérifiée et mation relating to the physical and biotic vari- complétée par photo-interprétation et sur le ables four types of juniper were differentiated terrain. Sur la base de cette cartographie et les by multivariate methods. On the other hand, informations relatives aux variables physiques et two types of dynamics were recognized and it biotiques, quatre types de junipéraies ont été was studied in depth the genesis of changes différenciés par des méthodes multivariées. produced in these forests in the last decades. D’autre part, deux types de dynamiques ont été reconnus et il a été étudié en profondeur la genèse de changements qui se produisent dans ces forêts dans les dernières décennies. Mots clés : Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus, Keywords: Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus, structure forestière, Sierra de Guadarrama, woodland structure, Guadarrama Range, Land-use changement de l’utilisation des terres, paysage change, Mediterranean landscape. méditerranéen. ecologia mediterranea – Vol. 39 (1) – 2013 181 18-art-18-vol39(1)-corT-ok2_Mise en page 1 15/07/13 09:58 Page182 F. ALLENDE ÁLVAREZ, P. DE LAS HERAS PUÑAL, P. FERNÁNDEZ-SAÑUDO, N. LÓPEZ ESTÉBANEZ, M. J. ROLDÁN MARTÍN Introduction lar, the habitat 5210 Arborescent matorral with Juniperus spp., which includes juniper formations of J. oxycedrus and J. thurifera L. The formations of J. oxycedrus L. subsp. (CD 92/43 EEC, 1992, Montesinos & García oxycedrus in Madrid Region are usually 2009). In Spain, the area occupied by the developed in middle mountain austere sys- habitat 5210 in the Mediterranean biogeo- tems of high landscape value. The informa- graphical region is 503,278 ha, of which tion about this species in this region is very 1.83% is in Madrid Region (Montesinos & limited. The first references on its presence in García 2009). the Iberian Peninsula considered this species typically Mediterranean, occupying the alti- The aims of this study are: 1) to know the cur- tudinal lower areas to the formations of Quer- rent distribution of the formations of Junipe- cus pyrenaica Willd., generally on south-fac- rus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus in Madrid ing slopes, with steep slopes (Rivas-Martínez, Region, particularly those located in the pied- 1964). This species can appear either in for- mont and mountain slopes; 2) to elaborate the mations in which dominates the tree and actual cartography of the species in this shrub layer, or in mixed masses with individ- region; 3) to characterize the forest and bio- uals of Quercus faginea subsp. faginea Lam., geographic facies; and 4) to identify the pop- Quercus ilex subsp. ballota (Desf) Samp., ulations dynamics occurred in a temporary Quercus pyrenaica, Pinus nigra Arnold. wide series. subsp. salzmannii, Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus sylvestris L. The floristic composition is very variable depending on the biogeo- graphic region and the climatological, geo- Methods graphical and other environmental conditions of the places where each population is located The study area corresponds to the entire (Costa Tenorio et al., 1993). The most fre- Madrid Region located in the centre of the quent accompanying woody species belong to Iberian Peninsula (Figures 1 and 2). the genera Cistus, Genista, Thymus and To make the cartography of this species was Lavandula. Nevertheless, at present, basic carried out a preliminary analysis of existing aspects as its distribution area, ecology or the cartographic information in digital format. structure and function of its populations are Two different types of variables were consid- not known in Madrid Region (Ríos Insúa ered: those that collect information on the dis- 1987; García et al. 1999, 2000; Montesinos tribution of species and those that collect 2007). information on abiotic variables. The last ones In general, populations of J. oxycedrus are were used in the subsequent multivariate subjected to various threats. To global scale, analysis. Among the first were considered, the major risk is the reduction of the rainfalls with different scales of precision: the cartog- and the increase of the temperatures due to the raphy of the Third National Forest Inventory climate change. This could sharply reduce (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio population recruitment and fertility, increas- Rural y Marino, 2007), the Vegetation Map of ing their vulnerability to parasites and forest Madrid Region (Ingeniería y Gestión plagues, and intensify the interspecific com- Medioambiental, 2006) and the Forest Map of petition, reducing its area of distribution the Madrid Region (Comunidad de Madrid (Montesinos & García 2009). To local scale, 2009a). hunting and the recreative noisy activities can The second ones include aspects such as geo- bother seed dispersers birds, impacting nega- morphology, lithology, bioclimatic belts, tively on the biology of this species. In addi- slopes, aspects, etc. (26 variables in total). All tion, urbanization of the territory and infra- layers are managed in a format compatible structure construction fragment juniper with ArcGIS 9.3 (shapefile, coverage or populations taking them to a considerable GRID) referred to the WGS84 ellipsoid and state of degradation (Ríos Insúa 1987; García UTM coordinates Zone 30. The information et al. 1999, 2000; Montesinos 2007). was integrated into a Geographic Information Due to its ecological importance and the System which is intersected by overlaying threats outlined above, the arborescent bushes techniques. Depending on the result of the of Juniperus spp. have been included in the overlapping, the fieldwork was designed for list of the Habitat Directive 92/43, in particu- the checking in situ of the absence or presence 182 ecologia mediterranea – Vol. 39 (1) – 2013 18-art-18-vol39(1)-corT-ok2_Mise en page 1 15/07/13 09:58 Page183 Distribution area of Juniperus oxycedrus L. in Central Spain (Madrid) Figure 1 – Location of study area. 1: Sierra (1,800- 2,400 m); 2: Granitic and metamorphic piedmont; 3: Tajo Basin; 4: Páramos over limestones; Ft: Torrelodones fault. of juniper in the obtained polygons. Once we have identified possible mistakes, those were solved using orthophotography (Plan Nacional de Ortofotografía Aérea, 1:12,500) for those polygons that need to be redefined, created or deleted. The accuracy of the refer- ence map unit depending on the type of area, establishing a minimum of 0.5 ha, similar to that used in other studies with this orthopho- tography scale in forest formations (SIOSE 2011). Also on the orthophotography were required some data about the phytostructure and percentages of canopy cover. If necessary, we worked with DGPS techniques (GPS Trimble Nomad 6GB) to refine the polygons shape. To this was added to the interpretation of the historical sequence of occupation by photointerpretation of flights of 1956 (United States Air Force), 1975 (Spanish Air Force) and orthophotography of 2009 (PNOA). This type of information