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![Torremolinos locality cartography. The color indicates the DC of the 5220* HCI at each polygon number: the red color corresponds with a reduced degree of conservation (DC). The enumeration of the polygons follows Table 2. The base map used is the World Imagery, provided by ESRI [52]: layer services credits source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.](publication/366973069/figure/fig5/AS:11431281111986868@1673271551692/Torremolinos-locality-cartography-The-color-indicates-the-DC-of-the-5220-HCI-at-each.png)
Torremolinos locality cartography. The color indicates the DC of the 5220* HCI at each polygon number: the red color corresponds with a reduced degree of conservation (DC). The enumeration of the polygons follows Table 2. The base map used is the World Imagery, provided by ESRI [52]: layer services credits source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community.
Source publication
The westernmost European nucleus of the 5220* Habitat of Community Interest (HCI) is located in the province of Málaga (Andalusia). In this area, the 5220* HCI is characterized by the presence of scrublands of Gymnosporia senegalensis subsp. europaea. This is a relict species in Europe, with inhabits only in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula....
Context in source publication
Citations
... Additionally, these areas are highlighted due to the presence of relict species like Gymnosporia senegalensis subsp. europaea [113]. ...
Although Mediterranean coastal regions in southern Spain have high floristic diversity and numerous Habitats of Community Interest (HCIs) identified by the European Union Directive Council, they are also vulnerable to invasive plants. In our study, we aimed to create a checklist of terrestrial alien taxa in the Iberian area of the Alboran coast, assess each species’ current invasion, analyse the influence of environmental attributes on invasion, estimate the richness of alien species per HCI group, and evaluate each species’ potential invasiveness based on its reproductive and dispersal attributes. The checklist that we developed includes 123 alien taxa, most belonging to the Asteraceae, Asparagaceae, and Poaceae families. Notably, 20% of the species are super invaders that occupy more than 20% of HCI. We also identified Aloe vera, Cylindropuntia spp., Agave salmiana, Opuntia spp., and Paspalum spp. as incipient invaders with the potential for future expansion. Although most alien flora in the HCIs are not regulated by Spanish legislation (RDL 630/2013), monitoring and eradication plans are crucial. Advocating the cessation of using those plants in gardens and reducing anthropogenic pressure are also essential, as human activities worsen invasion dynamics and facilitate the introduction and establishment of invasive species.
