Effects of Management on Biological Diversity and Endangered Species. In: Campos P, Huntsinger L, Oviedo Pro JL, Starrs PF, Diaz M, Standiford RB, Montero G, editors. Mediterranean Oak Woodland Working Landscapes. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands; 2013. pp. 213-43. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-6707-2_8]

Rangeland Land-Sharing, Livestock Grazing’s Role in the Conservation of Imperiled Species

Land sharing, conserving biodiversity on productive lands, is globally promoted. Much of the land highest in California’s biodiversity is used for livestock production, providing an opportunity to understand land sharing and species conservation. A review of United States Fish and Wildlife Service listing documents for 282 threatened and endangered species in California reveals a complex and varied relationship between grazing and conservation. According to these documents, 51% or 143 of the federally listed animal and plant species are found in habitats with grazing. While livestock grazing is a stated threat to 73% (104) of the species sharing habitat with livestock, 59% (85) of the species are said to be positively influenced, with considerable overlap between species both threatened and benefitting from grazing. Grazing is credited with benefiting flowering plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, and bird species by managing the state’s novel vegetation and providing and maintaining habitat structure and ecosystem functions. Benefits are noted for species across all of California’s terrestrial habitats, except alpine, and for some aquatic habitats, including riparian, wetlands, and temporary pools. Managed grazing can combat anthropomorphic threats, such as invasive species and nitrogen deposition, supporting conservation-reliant species as part of land sharing.

Long-Term Tree Regeneration of Fragmented Agroforestry Systems Under Varying Climatic Conditions

Iberian dehesas and montados are agroforestry systems protected by the European Habitats Directive due to high levels of biological diversity associated to their savannah-like structure. Tree scattering in dehesas, montados and other agroforestry systems is, however, known to compromise tree regeneration, although recent work suggests that it may protect tree populations from climate warming by alleviating plant-plant competition. We analyze how climatic conditions, tree isolation and their interactions influence the outcomes of regeneration stages, from flower production to early seedling establishment, using data gathered during the long-term monitoring (2001–2018) of ca. 300 Holm oak Quercus ilex trees located in central Spain. Holm oak reproductive effort, predispersal seed losses, and early seedling recruitment were sensitive to climate change, especially to year-round drought. Effort and early seedling recruitment decreased, while abortion and predispersal seed predation increased, with higher drought intensity. Spring warming increases pollination effectiveness, but had no further effect on acorn crops. Forest clearing seemed to have little scope to ameliorate these negative effects, as shown by weak or no interactive effects between the spatial configuration of trees (cover or isolation) and climate variables (spring temperature or drought intensity). Forest opening aimed at decreasing adult tree mortality under climate change scenarios would then have little or no effects on tree recruitment. Landscape-scale rotations alternating shrub encroachment and thinning along periods adapted to changing climate are proposed as the main management option to preserve both oak forests and dehesas in the long term.

Social Valuation of Mediterranean Cultural Landscapes: Exploring Landscape Preferences and Ecosystem Services Perceptions through a Visual Approach

Mediterranean cultural landscapes have been recognized as multifunctional landscapes that are currently threatened by two opposing trends: rural abandonment and agricultural intensification. Uncovering people’s perceptions of different landscape configurations, and how inhabitants value the contributions of nature to human wellbeing, is essential to understanding current landscape trends. In this study, we analyze the social perception of the cultural landscapes of Sierra Morena (Andalusia, Spain) based on 389 face-to-face visual questionnaires in an attempt to understand individuals’ landscape preferences, the reasons behind those preferences and how those landscapes are perceived as suppliers of ecosystem services by different groups of stakeholders. Four groups of stakeholders were identified that differed in how they perceive and value the cultural landscape. An urban-related group was characterized by their preferences for pine plantations and “green” landscapes, guided mostly by aesthetic criteria. A livestock-related group showed a clear preference for wood–pasture landscapes (dehesas) due to their ability to supply multiple ecosystem services. An environmentally aware group showed preferences for dehesas and Mediterranean forests, mainly guided by ecological criteria. Finally, an olive-related group showed a clear preference for olive grove landscapes as key for the regional economy and their cultural identity. Overall, the local inhabitants of Sierra Morena perceived a higher supply of ecosystem services in moderately disturbed landscapes, such as dehesas and mosaic landscapes, than in highly disturbed ones, such as conventional olive groves and pine plantations, or in less used landscapes, such as the Mediterranean forest. Understanding the differences in valuation/demand for ecosystem services among groups of stakeholders, characterized by their landscape preferences, provides important information with which to identify potential trade-offs and conflicts, thereby providing insights into the improvement of landscape planning and decision making.