RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Newly discovered seed dispersal system of Juniperus cedrus questions the pristine nature of the high elevation scrub of El Teide (Tenerife, Canary Islands)
A1 Nogales, Manuel
A1 Rumeu, Beatriz
A1 Nascimento Reyes, Lea de
A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María
AB As a working hypothesis, we examined evidence for the former presence of a climacicwoodland of Juniperus cedrus above the pine forest in the high elevation area of Tenerife(Canary Islands), which would indicate that the current dominant vegetation (endemicSpartocytisus supranubius scrub) may not be pristine. The main causes of the great regressionof this woodland were caused by human activities (timber harvesting, herbivoryby goats, and fires). The main support for this hypothesis is the survival of a presumablyrelict seed dispersal system of the endangered endemic J. cedrus, which relies mainly onthe wintering thrush Turdus torquatus. The fact that genetic factors are directly involved inthe control of bird migration routes strongly supports the idea that this interaction could beremnant of an older system, probably more widespread in the past. To test this hypothesis,we propose that a paleoecological approach could reconstruct the vegetation dynamics inthe Teide National Park (Tenerife) and the past presence of this seed disperser migratorythrush. The analysis of plant microfossils in sediments (e.g., pollen, spores, phytoliths,coprolites, and charcoal) would allow us to evaluate whether the current vegetation isthe same as that which naturally existed in the past, and assess the impact of the anthropogenicand natural factors to which it has been subjected during history. The resultsof these analyses will be useful for future management policies and practices aimed atrestoring the pristine landscape and biotic interactions of the Teide National Park. To ourknowledge, the case presented in this contribution, based on the high dependence of theseed dispersal of an endemic tree (J. cedrus) on a migratory bird, is the only reported inthe context of oceanic islands.
PB Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
YR 2014
FD 2014
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18134
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18134
LA en
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 25-nov-2024