Long-term vegetation changes on the stabilized dunes of Do�ana National Park (SW Spain)

✍ Scribed by Corona, Manuel Granados ;Vicente, Angel Martin ;Novo, Francisco Garcia

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 569 KB
• Volume: 75
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00044628

✦ Synopsis

Changes in the vegetation of stabilized sand dunes of Dofiana National Park in the last four centuries have been analysed, combining ecological and historical sources of information.

Quantitative vegetation data have been obtained from 5 inventories of a 15 km long transect, consisting of 34 points where nearby woody plants have been recorded. Inventories were taken in 1636, 1647, 1652, 1682 and 1859. The analysis of these data, combined with climatic and management information on the area, reveals that until 1636 a mediterranean forest dominated by Quercus suber, existed; it was used as a game preserve.

From 1636 to 1682 vegetation underwent profound changes with a marked drop in trees and mature scrub. The vegetation was replaced by a pioneer scrub species. This rapid change was brought about by the introduction of cattle and pigs, timber and cork exploitation, and the use of prescribed fire. The climatic crisis that arose circa 1700 led to erosion of the sandy soils, which made the vegetation change irreversibly. Livestock pressure hampered natural forest regeneration until 1737 when Pinuspinea plantations started. From then onwards little change in vegetation is known to have occurred.

It is suggested that the main steps of change in Dofiana vegetation history may have occurred in many other areas of the Mediterranean Basin.

Nomenclature: follows Tutin et aL (1964)(1965)(1966)(1967)(1968)(1969)(1970)(1971)(1972)(1973)(1974)(1975)(1976)(1977)(1978)(1979)(1980), Flora Europaea.