The Betic mountain ranges are distributed over a large part of Andalusia, from Cadiz to Jaen and continue through the province of Albacete towards Levante. A rugged and intricate relief, with deep valleys shaped by river erosion separating high rocky mountain massifs, and a complex geology characterise this region of extraordinary ecological, scenic and cultural value. In particular, these mountain ranges are home to an extraordinary wealth of plants, as with an extension of less than 8% of the Iberian Peninsula, they contain 45% of the peninsular flora, approximately 3,000 species. In addition, the remarkable uniqueness of a large part of its flora must be added, as 40 % of these species are rare or very rare (Blanca et al. 2011).
The Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas were declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1983 and a Natural Park in 1986. Located entirely in the province of Jaén, it has more than 200,000 hectares making it one of the largest protected areas in Europe. The unique richness of its ecosystems is due to a combination of physical characteristics, ecological dynamics and human factors. The geographical location in the South of the Iberian Peninsula with a Southwest-Northeast orientation and the orography of the terrain, which exceeds 2,000 m in altitude at its highest points, provide an enormous variety of climates and microclimates that create different habitats with the capacity to host species with varied requirements. A historical view of the vegetation extracted from palynological analyses of lagoon sediments in the region shows a succession of forests dominated alternately by pine (Pinus nigra, P. pinaster) and evergreen and deciduous oaks over the last 20,000 years, as a consequence of strong variations in the aridity of the climate. The altitudinal gradient and the heterogeneity of the terrain allow today to find some relict deciduous elements. Over the last 2000 years, human activity has manifested itself in the form of an increase in more open landscapes dominated by grasses as a result of grazing and an increased incidence of fire. The harshness of the terrain has conditioned human activity since ancient times, acting as a natural regulator also for our species. There is no doubt that the timber industry since the 18th century, local and transhumant livestock farming, the development of olive groves and the introduction of ungulates for hunting purposes in the mid-20th century have shaped the landscape and the wealth of these now protected mountains.
Nowadays, in addition to natural and repopulated pine forests, we can find typical Mediterranean forests with a combination of very diverse tree species (holm oak, juniper, acer, acebea, etc.) and a rich undergrowth with scrubland that is also home to a rich fauna of birds and mammals that consume the fruit and disperse the seeds they contain. Paradoxically, the areas with the poorest soils are home to the plant communities inhabited by the Park’s rarest and most characteristic species, such as the Cazorla violet (Viola cazorlensis) or the Cazorla geranium (Geranium cazorlense). Insects play an essential role in the population dynamics of these plant communities, mainly as pollinators essential for plant reproduction and consumers of their leaves, flowers and fruit, but also as decomposers of dead organic matter and as food for a multitude of animals that interact in complex ways, providing functionality and stability to ecosystems. In addition to the wealth of flora and fauna associated with the different plant communities, the limestone nature of the terrain has also favoured the formation of chasms and cavities that are home to a high abundance and diversity of cave bats and a rich fauna of invertebrates adapted to subterranean life. Achieving the sustainable development of a population deeply rooted in the land requires research into the causes of its natural wealth and also into the dangers and vulnerabilities of the balances that all species maintain in complex ecosystems such as these. In WP8 the isotopic study of atmospheric gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) and gases dissolved in water (O2, N2 and Ar) will be carried out. Estimates of primary production by GPP18O (photosynthesis/respiration balances) of some marshes and the Guadalquivir river. Isotopic study of tree rings to study changes in water use efficiency and the effects of Global Change. Isotopic study of water and dissolved compounds: nitrates, nitrites, ammonium, DIC, DOC, sulphates, etc.
WP9 has prepared an updated catalog of scientific literature on Botany, Zoology and Ecology as a necessary tool for analyzing the richness and conservation status of its species and interactions. Also, the richness of pollinators and their pollination service in well-preserved areas of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura and Las Villas Natural Park are investigated. In addition, the interdependence between plants and soil microorganisms is studied to determine the influence of these interactions on the richness of plant species in a community and the evolution of some characteristic groups of arid and high altitude sites.