RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Natural zonal vegetation of the Azores Islands: characterization and potential distribution
A1 Elias, Rui B.
A1 Gil, Artur
A1 Silva, Luís
A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María
A1 Azevedo, Eduardo B.
A1 Reis, Francisco
K1 alpine scrublands
K1 bioclimatic belts
K1 community distribution modeling
K1 diversity patterns
K1 Laurel forests
K1 montane cloud forests
K1 potential natural vegetation
K1 vegetation belts
AB Aims: To present a statistically based classification of Azorean natural zonal vegetation; (2) to characterizethe main features of this vegetation and (3) to present the first model of its potential distribution in the nineAzorean Islands. Study area: Azores (São Miguel, Pico, Terceira and Flores islands). Methods: Informationfrom 139 plots set up in the best preserved vegetation patches was used. Ward’s agglomerative clustering methodwas applied in order to identify community types. Potential distribution of these community-level entitieswas modeled in relation to climatic predictors, using MAXENT. Results: Eight vegetation belts were identified:Erica-Morella Coastal Woodlands, Picconia-Morella Lowland Forests, Laurus Submontane Forests, Juniperus-Ilex Montane Forests, Juniperus Montane Woodlands, Calluna-Juniperus Altimontane Scrublands, Calluna-Erica Subalpine Scrublands and Calluna Alpine Scrublands. Modeling results suggest thatPicconia-Morella and Laurus forests (Laurel forests) are the potential dominant vegetation in the Azores. Withthe possible exception of Juniperus woodlands, Pico could have all vegetation types, in contrast with SantaMaria, Graciosa and Corvo with only three. Conclusions: Most of Azorean natural vegetation has been transformedor degraded by human action, with a greater impact on Laurel forests. The best preserved vegetationbelts are located above 600 m a.s.l., including Juniperus-Ilex Forests and Juniperus Woodlands, perhaps the onlyexample of island montane cloud forests existing outside the tropics. In the present work, for the first time weused a statistical method to classify zonal vegetation, gave it a bioclimatic foundation and applied it to the wholearchipelago, thus defining and describing the main vegetation belts of the Azores. This work also gives the firstpotential distribution maps of the zonal vegetation for each island. This information may be used for landscapeplanning and management, selection of sites and species for ecological restoration and evaluation of climatechange effects.
SN 0340-269X
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17664
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17664
LA en
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 25-nov-2024