El artículo seleccionado no se encuentra disponible por ahora a texto completo por no haber sido facilitado todavía por el investigador a cargo del archivo del mismo.

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El artículo seleccionado no se encuentra disponible por ahora a texto completo por no haber sido facilitado todavía por el investigador a cargo del archivo del mismo.

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This is a response to critical comments concerning the inappropriate use of the potential natural vegetation (PNV) concept made in a recent contribution to the Commentary section of this journal. We consider that the PNV concept has been misinterpreted. PNV has been used extensively in several European countries since the mid‐1950s and was never intended to be used to make a prediction of what vegetation would dominate in an area if human influence were removed. PNV maps express hypothetical assumptions of what corresponds to dominant or natural vegetation in each area. Remnants of the vegetation of the past provided by palaeopalynology and other disciplines provide valuable information for interpreting modern vegetation, but natural changes and anthropogenic influences operating over the last millennia have to be taken into account. Annex I of the Habitats Directive provides a balanced list of habitat types for implementing conservation policies within the European Union.

The Northern Iberian Peninsula is dominated by various types of vegetation from deciduous oak and ash to evergreen oak woodlands. A recent vegetation map of Spain portrays vegetation series which are characterized in terms of their phytogeographic region or bioclimatic (altitudinal) belt. The aim of this paper is to determine whether the areas comprised by both phytogeographic regions (Eurosiberian and Mediterranean) in the study area, as established from the phytogeographic characterization of the vegetation, can be discriminated by climatic variables using multivariate methods, and to compare these with other conventional approaches.In addition, bioclimatic (altitudinal) belts and the main vegetation types were tested for discrimination by climatic variables. Conventional climatic criteria as well as discriminant and principal component analysis were applied to climatic data from 205 meteorological stations for which vegetation information had been taken from the vegetation map. Conventional criteria are good predictors of the phytogeographic division (Mediterranean and Eurosiberian regions) in the study area. Results were improved by multiple discriminant analysis based on climatic data of the dry period of the year (June to September). Both regions in the study area can be predicted with over 95 % accuracy. Using the same multivariate procedure and temperature data the bioclimatic (altitudinal) belts of the study area can be predicted with over 90 % accuracy. The main vegetation groups of the study area can also be predicted with over 80 % accuracy. Ordination analysis supported the results of the discriminant analysis. Empirical models have been generated to predict the phytogeographic-and belt character of any station in the area. The significance of the various periods of the year for discriminating regions and belts is evaluated. The responsiveness to climatic events during the year may be region specific. This study confirms the strong relationship between climate and vegetation in the Northern Iberian Peninsula, particularly regarding the Eurosiberian-Mediterranean boundary.

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