Chronicle III Flora Conservation Course of the Sierra de Guadarrama

III Flora Conservation Course

From 25 to 28 last June, the third edition of the Sierra de Guadarrama Flora Conservation course organized by the Polytechnic University of Madrid was held and SEBICOP, in collaboration with the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (PNSG). One of the technicians in the field of Environmental Ideas, was an assistant to the course.

Conferences and Contents

The first two days were dedicated to theoretical conferences that took place in the seminar room of the Higher Technical School of Forest, Forestry and Natural Environment Engineering, and on the second day a visit to the César Gómez Campo Germplasm Bank of the E.T.S. of Agronomic, Food and Biosystems Engineering.

In the last two days, practical days were held in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, visiting places of interest for the conservation of flora in the Lozoya Valley, the Peñalara environment and the Long Rope.

During the first theoretical day, an introduction to the flora of the PNSG was made by Felipe Martínez García (UPM and SEBICop), who also spoke about the catalogs of protected flora in the Community of Madrid and in Castilla y León.

Francisco Lara García (UAM) discussed the characteristics of the bryophytic flora and its presence in the PNSG, which does not yet have a complete catalog. It is worth noting the presence of Iberian or Mediterranean endemic species, boreal species and Atlantic species, predominating bryophytes of optimal siliciculture (the substrate most present in the PNSG) or indifferent to the chemical nature of the substrate. During the practical days, some species could be seen, most notably Orthotrichum bistratosum, a Mediterranean species of exposed rocks.

Ana Rosa Burgaz Moreno (UCM) showed the characteristics of lichens and their presence in the PNSG. During the practical days, some species could be seen, highlighting the abundance of Rhizocarpon geographicum, which gives a characteristic yellowish color to the rocks present in the PNSG.

José Luis Izquierdo Moreno (PNSG) presented the study carried out to locate the hot spots of the vascular flora in the PNSG and its Peripheral Protection Zone, those grids in which Iberian endemic species are found, taxons on their distribution limits, catalogued and threatened non-catalogued taxons.

This day ended with presentations by Juan Carlos Moreno Saiz (UAM and SebiCop) on the conservation of flora in Spain and that of Mario Mairal Pisa on the use of the iNaturalist app for the identification of flora.

The second theoretical day began with the presentation by Victoria Bermejo Bermejo (Ciemat) on air pollution and climate change, presenting the results of studies that show that both greenhouse gases and polluting gases are precursors that accumulate in the form of ozone concentrations, a problem that is not alien to rural areas or mountainous areas far from large urban centers and that is aggravated by the increase in temperature caused by climate change. Studies on some plant species also show the effects on them on a metabolic and physiological scale, even reducing their flowering period.

José Luis Izquierdo Moreno (PNSG) also discussed the conservation of flora carried out in the PNSG, exposing the main threats to flora and giving as an example the actions carried out with species Ulmus glabra And Carex lucennoiberica.

The speaker José María Iriondo Alegría (URJC) spoke about the relevance, opportunities and risks of plant conservation translocations, actions that should be thoroughly evaluated before being carried out to identify benefits, opportunities, risks and limitations, since a species or population is not an isolated element independent of the environment that surrounds it and with which it interacts.

The penultimate presentation was given by Ramón Perea García-Calvo (UPM) and was entitled “The conservation of flora as an indicator of the sustainability of ungulate populations”. In it, it was stated that ungulates can not only affect some species or habitats, soil and other fauna, but they are also landscape engineers generating heterogeneity, there are habitats that depend on this herbivorous pressure, prevent fires or support predators and scavengers. The indicators that serve as pressure gauges were also discussed.

And the last presentation, prior to the visit of the Germplasm Bank, was made by Elena Carrió González (UPM) spoke about the AFA methodology that would be carried out on the last day of the course to census a population of Senecio Boissieri.

The visit to the Germplasm Bank took place in the afternoon by Elena Torres Lamas (UPM) and Carlos Ruiz López (UPM), who showed the seed conservation techniques of a germplasm bank that houses more than 10500 accessions representing more than 3500 species, also showing the in-vitro conservation work they carry out and through which they have managed to reproduce unique species such as Borderea chouardii And Cypripedium calceolus.

Putting what you have learned into practice

On the first outing, we visited areas of the Lozoya Valley and the Laguna Grande de Peñalara, and were able to observe, among others: meadows classified as Majadales of Poa bulbosa (Habitat of Community Interest 6220); mowing meadows (HIC 6510); areas of limestone rocks where we find the species Erodium paularense (Geranium del Paular) and some bryophytes; peat bogs and wetlands where it lives Erica tetralix, Lycopodiella inundata And Pinguicula grandiflora. Apart from the flora, we were also able to enjoy the presence of species from different faunal groups that inhabit the PNSG, observing a Carpetan lizard (Iberolacerta cyneri) spawning, long-legged frog (Iberian Frog) and salamander (Salamander salamander), among others.

The last day aimed at putting into practice the census methods explained in the classroom. For this purpose, it was decided to make an inventory of a population of the species Senecio Boissieri, endemic to the Iberian Peninsula protected at the regional level in the Community of Madrid. This species in the PNSG has only three populations: one in Dos Hermanas and another two in the Long String. To do this practice, the population that is located on the ValdeMartín hill, in the Long Rope, was selected.

This course will have its next edition in June 2025, stay tuned!

Link to the course:

https://eventos.upm.es/117916/detail/iii-curso-de-conservacion-de-flora-de-la-sierra-de-guadarrama.html