Scientific Area
Abstract Detail
Nº613/1554 - Cliff species as indicators of dark diversity of an island habitat affected by invasive herbivores
Format: ORAL
Authors
Juana Mara Gonzlez-Mancebo1*, Juan Jos Garca-Alvarado1, Berta Casals1, ngel Palomares2, Gustavo Balsera2, Antonio Rodrguez2, Jorge Rey-Medina1, Vctor Bello-Rodrguez1, Jonay Cubas1
Affiliations
1. Plant Conservation and Biogeography Research Group. Departamento de Botánica, Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad de La Laguna. Avda. Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38200 Apdo 456. La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, España. (Corresponding author: jglezm@ull.edu.es).
2. Caldera de Taburiente National Park, 38750, El Paso, La Palma, Spain
Abstract
Widespread anthropic activities have left few well-preserved habitats in Europe, leading to a significant impoverishment in their ecosystems. This degradation has also occurred on oceanic islands, where, in addition, the introduction of invasive herbivores has resulted in many habitats being characterized by the least palatable species. Thus, there is a profound lack of knowledge about the original plant communities, as the ecosystems have been considerably impoverished, leaving most of the species richness restricted to cliffs inaccessible to herbivores.
The Canary Islands have not been exempting from these problems, although still retain high endemicity. For many of their habitats, few well-preserved remnants of original vegetation remain. This has led to serious conservation problems as there are difficulties in restoring habitats without having suitable reference ecosystem. Some of the best species refuges are found on platforms and cliffs within Caldera de Taburiente National Park (La Palma island), which harbour an extensive representation of the Canarian pine forest. Traditionally, this ecosystem has been defined as poor in species, but high endemicity and richness rates are in the cliffs. On the other hand, the accessible areas barely preserve 10% of their potential richness.
Here we present a comparative study of the diversity and composition of the flora in the pine forests of Caldera de Taburiente. Plots located on inaccessible platforms and cliffs, cliff base exclusion plots, restoration exclusion plots and their respective controls were used. The results obtained show that invasive herbivores density is the most important driver in determining gradients of diversity and species composition. The characteristic species of the pine forest in the presence of invasive herbivores are not dominant in inaccessible areas. The Canarian pine forest restoration must be aimed at a progressive enrichment in which the refugee species must be used to recover the diversity and structure of understory communities.