Abstract. Shrubland communities in Central Spain were studied through classifying growth forms of woody species and determining the shared use of the ground in progressively smaller spaces. 516 plants belonging to the six most abundant species and taken from different sites were included in biometric measurements. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to detect the trends of variation in the architecture of plants. The individuals were classified on the basis of the results of the PCA and different morphological types were detected, mainly ‘elliptical’, ‘spherical’or ‘variable’according to their shape. These morphological types were adopted by most plants depending on their location and community.
The horizontal occupation of space seems to be determined by whether or not the species rooted close to each other are able to occupy different strata. The co‐occurrence of two species in a reduced space is not facilitated when the two species have the same architecture. Then a spatial segregation tends to occur at a fine scale. The results can be interpreted as an optimization strategy of the shrubland ‘biomass/horizontal occupied area ratio’, which can be maximized in different environmental situations. It can also help to explain the ‘grain’ size of the pattern of horizontal spatial organization of the shrubland.
Abstract:We analysed the main changes in land use over a 21 year period within the perimeter of a Protected Natural Area (PNA) and outside this perimeter. The area is characterised by its Mediterranean mid-mountain landscape and its piedmont, which extends almost as far as the city of Madrid. We employed cartography of land use and plant formation from 1980 and 2001. We identified land uses and their changes in this time period in order to determine the principal territorial dynamics (scrub encroachment, urban development, forest encroachment, new pastures and new crops). Subsequently, we performed a comparative analysis between the changes inside and those outside the protected area. The results show that there is a boundary effect between the protected area and the surrounding zone, which is more notable in the areas where urban development has intensified. This kind of research serves to establish whether or not a PNA contributes to protecting and conserving natural resources as compared to what occurs in the unprotected surrounding area, which tends to be subjected to more aggressive dynamics.
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