Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid ISSN: 0211-1322 [email protected] Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas España Pérez-Latorre, Andrés V.; Hidalgo-Triana, Noelia; Cabezudo, Baltasar Composition, ecology and conservation of the south-Iberian serpentine flora in the context of the Mediterranean basin Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid, vol. 70, núm. 1, enero-junio, 2013, pp. 62-71 Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas Madrid, España Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=55628039007 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative 2334 serpentinas.6.qxp:Anales 70(1).qxd 22/07/13 16:25 Página 62 Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid 70(1): 62-71, enero-junio 2013. ISSN: 0211-1322. doi: 10.3989/ajbm. 2334 Composition, ecology and conservation of the south-Iberian serpentine flora in the context of the Mediterranean basin Andrés V. Pérez-Latorre, Noelia Hidalgo-Triana* & Baltasar Cabezudo Departamento de Biología Vegetal (Botánica), Universidad de Málaga, P. O. Box 59, E-29080 Málaga, Spain [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Resumen Pérez-Latorre, A.V., Hidalgo-Triana, N. & Cabezudo, B. 2013. Composi- Pérez-Latorre, A.V., Hidalgo-Triana, N. & Cabezudo, B. 2013. Composi- tion, ecology and conservation of the south-Iberian serpentine flora in the ción, ecología y conservación de la flora serpentínica suribérica en el con- context of the Mediterranean basin. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 70(1): 62-71. texto de la cuenca mediterránea. Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 70(1): 62-71 (en inglés). Peridotite outcrops have special lithological (serpentine) and soil charac- Las peridotitas muestran especiales características litológicas (serpentinas) teristics; they also support an unique flora and vegetation “that clearly dif- y edáficas; lo que condiciona una flora y vegetación original y distinta de fer from that of other soil types. One of the most important peridotite out- los alrededores. Uno de los afloramientos más importantes de la cuenca crops in the Western Mediterranean Basin is located in Sierra Bermeja (An- mediterránea occidental está representado por Sierra Bermeja (Andalucía, dalusia, Spain). The establishment of a complete ecological-floristic check- España). Es esencial establecer un catálogo florístico-ecológico completo list of serpentinophytes in this area, and a comparison with other de serpentinófitos y compararlo con otros catálogos de endemismos ser- serpentine-endemic floras in the Mediterranean Basin, is essential for the pentinícolas en el Mediterráneo, para la ordenación, gestión y conserva- assessment, management and conservation of these special areas. The ción en estas áreas particulares. La selección de serpentinófitos se realizó recognition of serpentinophytes was made following six criteria used for siguiendo seis de los criterios utilizados para floras que habitan sustratos floras inhabiting special substrata,. The list of species exclusively or partial- especiales. La lista de especies ligadas total o parcialmente a las peridotitas ly found on peridotite comprises 27 taxa with a variable degree of ser- incluye 27 taxones, con un grado variable de serpentinofilia: serpentinófi- pentinophily: obligate serpentinophytes (obligate endemics), preferential tos estrictos (endemismos obligados), serpentinófitos preferentes (con po- serpentinophytes (populations located mainly on serpentine) and subser- blaciones mayoritariamente sobre peridotitas) y subserpentinófitos (con pentinophytes (with some populations located on magnesium-rich sub- algunas poblaciones localizadas en substratos ricos en magnesio). Como strata). As observed in other Mediterranean outcrops, the number of obli- se observa en otros afloramientos del Mediterráneo, el número de serpen- gate serpentinophytes increases with the area of the outcrop, and the tinófitos estrictos aumenta con el área del afloramiento y los géneros Alys- genera Alyssum, Arenaria, Armeria, Centaurea and Silene were the most sum, Arenaria, Armeria, Centaurea y Silene son los más comunes. La ma- frequent. Most of the studied serpentinophytes, except for a few xero- yoría de serpentinófitos presentan un amplio rango bioclimático altitudi- thermophilous taxa, present a wide bioclimatic (altitudinal) range and nal, excepto algunos xerotermófilos, y casi todos crecen en matorrales y grow in shrublands and pastures in rocky places with shallow soils. As pastizales en lugares rocosos con litosuelos. Un 56% de los serpentinófi- many as 56% of the serpentinophytes are threatened and, among obli- tos están amenazados y, entre los serpentinófitos estrictos, un 45% están gate serpentinophytes, 45% are categorized as critically endangered or catalogados en peligro crítico o en peligro, subrayando la urgente aplica- endangered, emphasizing the need for urgent conservation measures on ción de medidas sobre las especies y sus hábitats. Tomando este listado de the species and their habitats Based on this checklist, more detailed stud- serpentinófitos como base, debe profundizarse en estudios sobre su fiso- ies may focus on serpentinophytes for their particular physiology, adaptive logía especial, síndromes, tipos funcionales, fenología y aplicaciones. traits, functional types, phenology and applications. Keywords: serpentinophytes, peridotite rocks, conservation, ecology, Palabras clave: serpentinófitos, peridotitas, conservación, ecología, flora Mediterranean flora, management. mediterránea, manejo. INTRODUCTION phytes can be divided into three categories: a) endemic taxa, linked exclusively to peridotites, b) preferential taxa, whose Peridotites are recognized as one of the most peculiar rock distribution is mainly associated with peridotite but occasion- types on Earth, both for their plutonic igneous origin and ally found on other substrata and c) taxa living on a variety of chemical composition (Roberts & Proctor, 1992). Serpentine substrata but also on peridotite (bodenvag taxa). soils originate from this type of rock, and are well known for Obligate serpentinophytes may have a particular meta - their physical and chemical anomalies that present a hostile bolism for avoiding the toxic effect of heavy metals (Roberts environment for plants (Brooks, 1987). Anomalies such as & Proctor, 1992; Brady & al., 2005). Moreover, some faculta- high Fe and Mg contents, a low Ca content, a deficiency of nu- tive species show a serpentine-morph syndrome, e.g. a com- trients (N, P, K), infertility, toxic concentrations of heavy me- plex of morpho-functional adaptations that distinguish the tals (Cr, Ni, Co, Va), very slow soil development and high xe- serpentine populations from those living on other substrates rothermicity characterize these soils (Whittaker, 1954; López (stenophyllous, glabrous, glaucous, macro-rooted plants, pla- González, 1975; Brooks, 1987). Such characteristics make ser- giotropism and nanism) (Pichi-Sermolli, 1948). The high con- pentine habitats highly selective for plants and relatively few centrations of magnesium in serpentine soils allow the pre- species, called serpentinophytes or serpentinophilous, are sence of a magnesicolous flora that develops equally on ser- adapted to grow on such a substrate (Rune, 1953; Jeffrey, pentine and dolomite rocks (Rivas Goday, 1974; Mota & al., 1987; Selvi, 2007). Following Kruckeberg (2002), serpentino- 2008). Studies on species adapted to this type of serpentine * Corresponding author. 2334 serpentinas.6.qxp:Anales 70(1).qxd 22/07/13 16:25 Página 63 South-Iberian serpentinophytes 63 ecosystem are considered of great interest for the restoration of contaminated soils, the mining of heavy metals, the study of the evolution in extreme habitats, and in conservation biolo- gy surveys (Brady & al., 2005). The most important area for obligate serpentinophytes in Europe (with 123 taxa) is situated in the Balkans (Stevanovic & al., 2003). The westernmost peridotite outcrops in the Mediterranean Basin are situated in the south of the Iberian Peninsula (Andalusia) where they cover a total area of 430 km2 (IGME, 1970 and 1981), with an altitudinal range from 100 to 1500 m occupying three bioclimatic belts (Pérez Latorre & al., 1998). South-Iberian peridotites have frequently been con- verted into serpentines by hydrolysis (Yusta & al., 1985). The flora and plant communities of Andalusian peridotites have been studied by several authors, including Rivas Goday Fig. 1. Peridotite outcrops in Southern Iberian Peninsula (Andalusia, Spain): (1974), López González (1975) and Rivas Goday & López 1, Ronda Mountain ranges (Malaga); 2, Sierra Nevada (Almeria); 3, Lubrín Gon zález (1979). Some species are hyper-accumulators of Ni (Almeria). Serpentinophytes are restricted to the outcrops of Malaga. (Rufo & al., 2004; Díez-Garretas & al., 2009) and others show the serpentine-morph syndrome characters described above (López González, 1975; Alados & al., 1999). Climax forest 1500 m. 2, Sierra Alpujata: 71 km2 with an altitude range of vegetation in these habitats is characterized by pine (Pinus between 140 and 1050 m. 3, Sierra de Aguas: 36 km2 and ly- pinaster Aiton) and fir forest (Abies pinsapo Clemente ex ing between 200 and 950 m. 4, Sierras del Guadalhorce: small Boiss.) but they are frequently substituted by shrublands be- and isolated outcrops with a total area