Format: ORAL

Alba Gutirrez-Girn1, Rosina Magaa Ugarte1 y Rosario G. Gaviln Garca1

Complutense University of Madrid Pharmacy Faculty Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacognosy and Botany

Since the establishment of the GLORIA monitoring area in central Spain in 2005, a series of plant ecology research projects have been carried out, which have allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the ecology of this type of ecosystem. In these environments, in addition to the stress factors of temperate high mountain communities (short growing season, low temperatures, snowfall, limited soil development, etc.), the existence of a summer drought period is an additional determining factor. Presented here are the most important findings from the past twenty years about the ecology of these Mediterranean communities in the heart of the Iberian Peninsula, and their global and continental contexts are also briefly discussed. Topics covered include the environmental influences on these communities composition, as well as their spatial and functional structure. Also discussed is the role of facilitative interactions in the structure of these communities. Additionally, C recycling research and the susceptibility of these ecosystems to changes to these cycles brought about by climate change have been addressed. Recent research has revealed that several species of the mountainous Mediterranean have developed unique physiological, metabolic, and morphological responses to water stress and photoprotection. Our understanding of the ecology of high mountain habitats in the Mediterranean has been enhanced by these contributions. Going forward, we are optimistic that the GLORIA monitoring data can provide additional insight on the ecosystems vulnerability to the effects of climate change.