Moss cover and browsing scores as sustainability indicators of mountain ungulate populations in Mediterranean environments

Refoyo, P., Peláez, M., García‑Rodríguez, M., López‑Sánchez, A. y Perea, Ramón . (2022) Moss cover and browsing scores as sustainability indicators of mountain ungulate populations in Mediterranean environments. Biodivers Conservation, 31, 2741–2761 (2022)

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Título Moss cover and browsing scores as sustainability indicators of mountain ungulate populations in Mediterranean environments
Autor(es) Refoyo, P.
Peláez, M.
García‑Rodríguez, M.
López‑Sánchez, A.
Perea, Ramón
Materia(s) Ciencias
Abstract Here, we aimed to define ecological indicators of environmental change for monitoring the effect of a reintroduced species, the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica), over the vegetation of a natural protected area with contrasting habitats. This species was reintroduced 30 years ago in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain, and its population has since grown exponentially, reaching high densities in some areas. We tested the suitability of two complementary indicators: browsing damage on woody species and the percentage of moss cover loss on rocky outcrops. For this purpose, we used a mathematical approach to zone the natural protected area according to the historical presence of the species and established five different Iberian ibex pressure classes (Classes I–V). Our results showed a direct link between Iberian ibex pressure and vegetation status. Model predictions suggested 10% moss loss in the areas with low pressure (Class I) but 64% loss in the areas with high pressure (Class III), mostly due to ungulate trampling on rocks. Similarly, browsing damage increased with increasing pressure classes for different woody species. Low palatable plant species such as Pinus spp. showed little change in browsing damage for increasing ungulate pressure whereas more palatable plants (e.g., Erica arborea) showed significantly greater browsing damage variation across pressure classes (i.e., high sensitive to herbivory pressure). Both, moss cover on rocks and widely distributed palatable woody plants proved useful ecological indicators for monitoring ungulate populations in mountainous areas with a diverse array of habitats (e.g., rocky vs. woody). This methodology may help select the most suitable indicators for each type of ecosystem or dominant habitat in ungulate-dominated ecosystems.
Palabras clave Rewilding
Reintroduction
Natural protected areas
Browsing damage
Biocrust
Trampling
Editor(es) Springer
Fecha 2022
Formato application/pdf
Identificador bibliuned:DptoCA-FCIE-Articulos-Mgarcia-0004
http://e-spacio.uned.es/fez/view/bibliuned:DptoCA-FCIE-Articulos-Mgarcia-0004
DOI - identifier https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02454-1
Nombre de la revista Biodivers Conservation
Número de Volumen 31
Página inicial 2741
Página final 2761
Publicado en la Revista Biodivers Conservation, 31, 2741–2761 (2022)
Idioma eng
Versión de la publicación publishedVersion
Tipo de recurso Article
Derechos de acceso y licencia http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Tipo de acceso Acceso abierto
Notas adicionales The registered version of this article, first published in Biodivers Conservation, is available online at the publisher's website: Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02454-1
Notas adicionales La versión registrada de este artículo, publicado por primera vez en Biodivers Conservation, está disponible en línea en el sitio web del editor: Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02454-1

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Creado: Thu, 25 Jan 2024, 20:03:38 CET