Format: ORAL

Miriam Garca Torija1, Jos R. Quintana Nieto2, Raquel Pino Bodas3, Jos A. Molina Abril1

1 Department of Botany, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 2 Department of Soil Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain 3 Department of Botany, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain

Urban ecosystems are experiencing a significant growth worldwide. Cities include areas that provide important ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and maintenance of biodiversity. In a context of global warming, it is necessary to increase knowledge on ecosystem services provided by Mediterranean urban greenspaces. Our study was focused on spontaneous vegetation in four periurban greenspaces located in Madrid (Spain). We aimed to analyse the composition, diversity and productivity of four plant community types widely extended in Mediterranean urban areas, namely annual graminoid grasslands, annual herbaceous communities on slope roadsides, perennial herbaceous communities and perennial graminoid grasslands. Plant species composition, productivity, diversity, cover of growth forms and functional groups were determined in 3 plots x 4 plant-communities x 4 greenspaces = 40 plots analyzed. We used generalized linear model to determine the influence of the community type on vegetation variables. We performed a cluster analysis by unsupervised agglomerative classification, to test numerically the vegetation types and to identify their diagnostic, characteristic and differential species. Our results showed that perennial herbaceous communities had a significant lower species richness in comparison to the other communities but a lower Shannon index and higher biomass when comparing them with herbaceous communities on slope roadsides and perennial graminoid grasslands. Besides, annual grasslands showed a significant higher abundance of individuals. Regarding functional groups, a significant higher cover of mucilage-accumulator plants was detected in the perennial herbaceous communities and of Sulphur-accumulator plants in the annual herbaceous communities on slope roadsides. The agglomerative classification identified two sub-communities within the vegetation type on slope roadsides. We conclude that plant productivity, diversity, and cover of functional groups and their associated ecosystems services, are unevenly distributed throughout urban greenspaces. Furthermore, their management should be addressed to preserve those vegetation types that better support biodiversity and carbon storage.