Empar Carrillo

• University of Barcelona

In the valley of Espot, central Iberian Pyrenees, two congeneric species coincide in the same habitats, showing a similar encroaching ability as prostrate shrubs expanding on former rangeland. Out of this valley, however, while Juniperus communis is widespread from regional to Holarctic levels, J. sabina is only sparsely found in distant Palearctic...

Bog Woodland geobotanical characterisation in the central Pyrenees. Here, we present a detailed study of the diversity, species composition, ecology and phytosociological characterization of the Habitat of Community Interest (priority type) at a European level Bog woodland (HIC 91D0*) in the Pyrenees, carried out through 23 inventories taken accord...

Abstract: In alpine areas, snow duration is the most limiting factor for plant development. Within the current context of climate change, models point to an increase of mean temperatures and a reduction of precipitation in the Pyrenees, which may result in a reduction of snowpack duration. In snowbeds, i.e. those habitats where snow lasts until mid...

This document collects unpublished vegetation inventories carried out in the Principality of Andorra within the framework of various mapping, inventory and evaluation projects of flora and vegetation. They are presented in text form, and also in a cartographic file containing the location of the inventories and an associated attribute table (availa...

Alpine landscapes include strong abiotic gradients, which promote the coexistence along short distances of varying plant communities. Here, we analyse the vegetation of the alpine belt of the Catalan and Andorran Pyrenees through functional plant traits, to better understand plant diversity as coupled with the varying alpine landscapes. For this pu...

A contribution to the knowledge of plant communities of Juniperus sabina and Juniperus communis (Cupressaceae) in the Catalan Pyrenees. Here we study the plant communities formed by Juniperus sabina, J. communis var. intermedia and J. communis subsp. nana in the Pyrenees. These three taxa may be found as detached shrubs within grassland or rocky ar...

Aims Pinus uncinata is the major treeline‐forming species in the Pyrenees. Yet, the role of its reproduction and dispersal as drivers of treeline dynamics remains unknown. Here we quantify seed production, dispersal and germination changes along the elevation gradient to assess whether they may constrain the foreseen treeline advance in the Pyrenee...

Holarctic mires are systems of great ecological value and limited alpine distribution. Their southernmost European boundary borders the Mediterranean region. Understanding how environmental factors influence the plant community distribution and its response to disturbances, especially in the water regime, is a key step for their management and cons...

Snowbeds are one of the high mountain habitats most threatened by climate change, since they depend on a long snowpack. In 2003-2007 we established seven permanent plots in acidic snowbeds around the national park, and we sampled them in that period and ten years later. In ten years, we found that snowbed specialists showed a tendency to reduce the...

The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park has numerous hydroelectric infrastructures that modify the structure and function of the aquatic and semi-aquatic habitats. Within the framework of the LIFE+ LimnoPirineus project, we have taken the small reservoir of Font Grossa, disused for years, as an example of ecological restoration of m...

This map is the result of the fusion in a single cartographic document of the whole series of the Vegetation Map of Catalonia at a scale 1: 50,000 (MVC50), elaborated for more than three decades under the coordination of the Group of Geobotany and Vegetation Cartography of the University of Barcelona (GEOVEG). This fusion project has involved the u...

The alpine vegetation is frequently characterized as landscape mosaics where contrasting plant communities in terms of species composition and functional structure are set responding to abrupt changes through rough physiography. In this paper, we analyse the vegetation of the alpine belt of the Catalan and Andorran Pyrenees combining its phytosocio...

The adaptation of the catalog of biotopes in the European Union (CORINE Biotopes Manual) in Catalonia led to a list of existing habitats in the region. This Manual seeks to theoretically interpret this habitats and to enable them to be easily identified in practice. Descriptive volumes, such as this one, comprise a series of sheets, each correspon...

Catàleg dels hàbitats naturals reconeguts en el territori català d’acord amb els criteris establerts pel CORINE biotopes manual de la Unió Europea

The Pyrenean landscape has experienced deep modifications during the last millennia even at high elevations, driven by climatic changes and anthropogenic activities. The current global change, however, forces vegetation responses more than before. The most apparent ongoing vegetation shifts respond mostly to changes in land use through shifts in th...

Discussed results of an experience done, previous to restoring a mountain mire

We show some preliminary results of the snowbed monitoring in the Pyrenees between years 2013 and 2017, related to the current INTERREG project FloraPyr.

The Pyrenees is a large mountain system stretching over the Iberian isthmus, and thus encompassing three distinct vegetation regions: medio-European, Mediterranean and Alpine. It includes contrasting landscapes in accordance with this large-scale pattern and also with smaller scales related to continentality, bedrock type, landform and ancient anth...

Here, we summarize the results of a study focused on the knowledge of the high mountain shrubs and their encroaching role in the National Park. We analyzed the ecological distribution and the functional traits of eight species behaving as more or less invasive, and four species locally rare and not invasive. In the most relevant species, we studied...

Climate warming can lead to changes in alpine plant species interactions through modifications in environmental conditions, which may ultimately cause drastic changes in plant communities. We explored the effects of 4 years of experimental warming with open-top chambers (OTC) on Vaccinium myrtillus performance and its interaction with neighbouring...

[Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual. Vol. IV. 3 Shrubby vegetation and grassland (Shrubby vegetation). Revised edition 2016] Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual t...

[Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual. Vol. V. 3 Shrubby vegetation and grassland (Grassland). Revised edition 2016] Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would...

The adaptation of the catalog of biotopes in the European Union (CORINE Biotopes Manual) in Catalonia led to a list of existing habitats in the region. This Manual seeks to theoretically interpret this habitats and to enable them to be easily identified in practice. Descriptive volumes, such as this one, comprise a series of sheets, each correspon...

[Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual. Vol. VII. 5 Bogs and marshes. 6 Inland rocks, screes and caves. Revised edition 2015] Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual tha...

[Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual. Vol. VI. 4. Forests. Revised edition 2015] Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would serve to interpret the data and fac...

Pyrenean wetlands cover small, scattered areas. They are vulnerable to disturbance and poorly studied habitats, although being a refugee for some rare species within the Iberian Peninsula. Research about their population dynamics is needed to understand and preview their spontaneous dynamics and fate in a changing landscape, and to create useful re...

Map of Catalan Habitats. Version 2. Interpretation Manual. This is the interpretation manual of the second version of the map of Catalan habitats, a cartography project updated in 2012. The key to the maps is based on the list of CORINE habitats. The map can be consulted and downloaded from internet.

In this paper, we analyse the spatial distribution of plant diversity in the Pyrenean area of Catalonia and Andorra, in parallel to the distribution of landscape descriptors that have been proven to be related to species distribution. We used a wide range of synthetic parameters that refer to physiography (area, main outcrops), bioclimate (length o...

In mid-latitude mountains, snowbeds often consist of small, scattered alpine belt units that host many plants of high biogeographic interest. Because most snowbed species are weak competitors, it is important to study the dissemination and persistence of their seeds to better understand their population dynamics. This study analyzed the snowbed flo...

Plant growth and performance in snowbed communities are strongly influenced by the length of the growing period remaining after the snowmelt date. Under the scenario of climate change, studying the phenological responses of snowbed species to variations in snowmelt date might be crucial to understand their ability to adapt and survive under changin...

Here we report new data concerning 58 rare plants, mainly recorded in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park or in neighbouring areas (from Vall d’Aran to Andorra). For each taxon, we discuss the phytogeographic interest of the new locations given, according to the present knowledge of the Pyrenean flora. Festuca alpina Suter subsp...

Here we study the reproductive patterns of Pinus uncinata along the altitudinal gradient in the Pyrenees, from the mid subalpine belt to the treeline. From an ample sampling of cones in five locations, we have analyzed the seeds through morpho-functional traits and germination capacity. Whereas the increasing altitude produced no clear differences...

Here we give a red list of the vascular flora of the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, according to the knowledge of the local flora, and the regional red lists and conservation rules. The list includes 74 taxa, classified into four levels of threat. From most to less endangered, these groups included 12, 17, 28 and 15 taxa, resp...

The aim of this study was to relate soil fertility with stand structure and composition of Pinus uncinata forests reforested naturally in the past 50 years in the Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park. Overall, the soil in the 29 sampled plots is acid with high levels of nitrogen and organic matter, low rate of mineralization, low l...

In the Pyrénées, as in other Alpine mountain systems, various strong ecological gradients, together with old land use, have produced a high level of diversity both between landscapes and within individual areas. Mapping these landscapes during recent years has revealed dynamic trends thorough the area, mainly related to the general abandonment of t...

Monitoring a vegetation transect in one snowbed of the National Park reveals small changes in the species distribution after nine years. The set of plant communities remained the same, but we observed some shifts in the boundaries among them. The snowbed specialist species showed a trend to reduce their space occupancy, moving towards the central p...

Fen and bog plant communities in the Aran valley, in the central Pyrenees Given the topographic situation of the Aran valley, on the north side of the Pyrenees, the climate regimes (from medio-European to high mountain types) have a strong Atlantic influence. This, and the complex relief and bedrock assemblage of the area, enable the formation of g...

Is the Pyrenean flora well known? The western Catalan Pyrenees are still surprising. Although the flora of the Catalan Pyrenees is rather complete at regional scale, there is great heterogeneity in the knowledge at the local scale. Field work during the last years has yield interesting novelties, in relation with the great environmental diversity...

In this study we examine the process of spontaneous forestation in the subalpine Pinus uncinata domain. We focus our study on six linked issues, ranging from the diachronic comparison of the landscape through aerial imagery, the demography of Pinus uncinata populations and the response of Pinus seedlings to simulated environmental changes. The land...

Abstract 1Ecological study of the fens and bog of the Aran valley We studied 12 bog and fen systems in the Aran valley (Catalan Pyrenees). On the whole, we performed 143 floristic relevés. For each we measured the content of the main cations in soil capillar water samples, the peat depth, the water table depth, and other field parameters. We class...

AbstrAct 1 vegetation changes in the forest domain of the mountain pine in the aigüestortes i estany de sant Maurici national Park from 1956 to 2008 The aim of this study is to evaluate the landscape changes occurred in the Pinus uncinata domain in the subalpine belt of the "Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici" National Park during the second hal...

New records for the vascular flora of Andorra A few years ago, we elaborated a check-list of the flora of vascular plants of Andorra. After gathering the bibliographic data, we explored the sites and habitats less studied by the preceding botanists. The resulting list included some 140 taxa new for the area, and others which had been only recorded...

Thermal gradient and vegetation shifts in Pyrenean snowbeds. Given the sensitivity of alpine communities to global warming, we set a long-term monitoring project on the vegetation and the temperature regime of Pyrenean snowbeds. We studied a set of contiguous vegetal communities under different snowcover, in two localities situated in Andorra (Creu...

A més de posar en evidència el valor natural i l’elevada riquesa d’aquest territori, l’estudi dels boscos, les pastures, el paisatge i els usos tradicionals han fet possible que en el llibre es proposin tot un seguit de criteris de gestió. També, que es posi de manifest que l’activitat humana ha contribuït a l’enriquiment de l’espai però, alhora, q...

First Conference on Biological Prospecting in Catalonia. The Direccó General for the Natural Environment, in collaboration with the Biodiversity Research Institute of the University of Barcelona (IRBio), has organised this conference. The aim of these conferences is to increase general knowledge about the biodiversity of Catalonia and to compile as...

Here we present the catalogue of vascular plants occurring spontaneously in a small mountain area (about 3,000 ha). It stretches over a noticeable altitude range (1,760 m) and includes four vegetation belts. Most of the outcrops are acidic, roughly coinciding with the three lower belts (submontane, montane, subalpine), whereas limestone dominates t...

This paper summarizes a study on the landscape of the Son valley and the Mata de València, beginning with the habitats mapping. The resulting map, at the scale 1:25,000, includes 79 habitats from the CORINE system, which are briefly discussed in a legend. The area is distributed into 216 patches, each bearing one, two or three habitats. Other habit...

Here we study the landscape changes occurring in the subalpine belt of Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park between 1956 and 2008. We undertook detailed mapping of the Pinus uncinata domain to delimitate the plant formations covering the area in the two years studied. Then, we analyzed the changes using GIS techniques. Moreover, we...

Aims: The upper elevation limit of forest vegetation in mountain ranges (the alpine treeline ecotone) is expected to be highly sensitive to global change. Treeline shifts and/or ecotone afforestation could cause fragmentation and loss of alpine habitat, and are expected to trigger considerable alterations in alpine vegetation. We performed an analy...

Background: Pyrenean timberlines, lowered to various extents through ancient land use, are expected to rise due to abandonment of land use and climate warming.Aims: To provide a comprehensive survey of the timberline in the Catalan Pyrenees, at the landscape, plant community, and tree population levels.Methods: We assessed the present location of t...

We propose to recatalogue Potamogeton praelongus Wulfen, into the category of «Critically Endangered (CR)» according to IUCN-2001 criteria, and its inclusion in the official catalogue of threatened species of Spain, Aragon and Catalonia in the categories of «Danger Extinction». Proponemos la recatalogación de la espiga de agua Potamogeton praelongu...

New contributions to the knowledge of the cormophytic flora of Boumort mas-sif (Prepyrenees, NE Iberian Peninsula). Data about 80 taxa are presented. Acer × peronai Schwerin and Alyssum alpestre L. are new records for the Iberian Peninsula and Spain respectively. Epilobium × haynaldianum Hausskn., Rosa caballicensis Puget ex Déségl. and Sorbus hybr...

In short, regeneration of Pinus uncinata above the timberline is subject to a wide range of impediments. The scarcity of seedlings beyond the sharp treeline ecotone suggests dissemination shortness, and that survival and growth are impeded by harsh winter conditions in open pasture. In this ecotone the irregular vegetation structure provides safe m...

Checklist and Red List of the Flora of Andorra. For the preparation of the Red List of the flora of Andorra, first we needed a proven and complete list of the flora of Andorra (check-list). To have this list was therefore the first objective, and has been the most laborious work. We conducted an exhaustive analysis of existing information on the va...

We present a review of the main trends of vegetation zonation in the entire Pyrenean mountain system, including previous overviews and a great many papers on flora and vegetation. The main floristic territories are roughly set as parallel zones along the main axis. The high mountain zone forms a central core, characterized by the domi-nant Boreo-Al...

Study of the regeneration of mountain pine at the upper limits of the forest zone. These are the preliminary results of a study of the regeneration of mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) in the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. This is part of the more general project VULPIBOS (VULnerabilitat del paisatge supraforestal pirinenc davant de l'ascens del límit supe...

Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual [vol. V, 3. Shrubby Vegetation and Grassland (Shrubby Vegetation)]. Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would serve to int...

Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual (vol. I, Introduction). Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would serve to interpret the data and facilitate practical rec...

Map of Catalan Habitats. Interpretation Manual. This is the interpretation Manual of the Map of Catalan habitats, a project in which 85 sheets that totally or partially cover Catalan territory were created and digitised (1998 - 2003). The key to the maps is based on the list of CORINE habitats. The map can be consulted and downloaded from internet....

Here we studied the adaptation of plant communities to environment in the alpine belt of the Catalan Pyrenees through comparative analysis of plant traits. The starting point consisted of about 800 phytocoenological relevés from the Banc de Dades de Biodiversitat de Catalunya, which corresponded to 47 communities (associations and subassociations)...

Catàleg dels hàbitats naturals reconeguts en el territori català d’acord amb els criteris establerts pel CORINE biotopes manual de la Unió Europea

Study of the Mountain Pine regeneration at treeline. The study of mountain pine (Pinus uncinata) regeneration is performed inside the limits of the Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu and is part of the VULPIBOS project (Sensitivity of supra-forest landscape of the Pyrenees due to treeline uprising). The aim of the study is to determine the most limiting...

Spatial and temporal dinamics of the upper ecotone of the Mountain Pine. Climatic change, increased emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrate depositions, as well as land-use changes can affect treeline dynamics. Several studies show that subalpine treeline populations can be used to monitor ongoing global planetary change, thus Pyrenean subalpine mo...

In this paper, we present a method for analysing the landscape, using the example of Andorra, through assessing the interest of the CORINE units recognised. The starting point was a map of habitats previously drawn at the 1:25,000 scale, on infrared orthoimages. It includes some 3,000 polygons, identified by 103 legend units based on the CORINE hab...

Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual (vol. VII, 5 Bogs and Marshes. 6 Inland Rocks, Screes and Caves). Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would serve to inter...

Catalonia CORINE Habitats manual (vol. VI, 4. Forests). Adaptation of the CORINE Biotopes Manual to Catalonia. Once the Catalan habitats were catalogued, the need to clearly establish the content and specify the boundaries for each habitat logically led to the creation of a manual that would serve to interpret the data and facilitate practical reco...

There have been established 19 permanent plots in the National Park in order to study the chionophilous vegetation and to identifty the borders between communities, and also to monitoring the climate change. Depending on the substrate and the innivation gradient different vegetal communities may be found. On siliceous substrata the borders between...

In a small country, the situation on the preservation of species tends to be very different to that of the rest of the world. For example, a plant that is only found in one particular country, and is, for this very reason, granted considerable importance on a global scale, can be abundant on a local scale without risk of disappearing. Or, the case...

A first proposal for the Natural Heritage Value Index for Catalonia, a cartographical tool for strategic environmental assessment The first phase of development of the Natural Heritage Value Index (NHVI) of Catalonia is presented. This is a cartographical index aimed at evaluating the Catalan territory as a whole using homogeneous criteria, so tha...

Flora of the Natural Park Cadí–Moixeró and neighbouring Pre–Pyrenean areas (Eastern Iberian Pyrenees) The Serra de Cadí and neighbouring mountains are of great botanical interest given the great diversity and uniqueness of their vascular flora as well as the vast extent of calcareous habitats they harbour, the greatest in the Catalan Pyrenees. The...

Digital Map of the Habitats of Andorra 1:25,000. Based on the list established in the CORINE Biotopes Manual (1991) of the European Union, this map shows the Andorran surface divided into 175 different habitats cataloged in 103 units legend. The map is a basic tool for the diagnosis and management of the territory of Andorra. An update of the map i...

La cartografía de hábitats CORINE de Cataluña constituye una importante información de base para la gestión del territorio, dadas sus características técnicas y su base biológica. En este trabajo, proponemos una metodología concreta que permita evaluar el interés natural de un territorio, partiendo de dicha cartografía, o de otra equivalente. Hemos...

The Andorran Map of Habitats For the correct management of an area it is essential to have access to an appropriate thematic cartography. This is the only way, when it comes to making decisions that affect that area, that an evaluation can be made consistent with the different existing possibilities. Knowing what types of rocks make up a certain ar...

The vegetation landscape of Travessani lake and Muntanyó de Llacs basins. The relationship between vegetation, terrain parameters (altitude, slope and aspect) and bedrock type have been studied using a Geographical Information System (GIS). We have mapped the vegetation of two small basins in the alpine zone of the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Mau...

Aplication of phytocoenological data to vegetation mapping. Our vegetation mapping work in Catalonia has led us, on the one hand, to consider the theoretical interpretation of landscape and, on the other hand, to establish the most suitable procedures to define cartographic units and to materialise them on the map, This paper synthetizes our approa...

The first part of a general survey of the vegetation of Catalonia and Andorra, this paper reports all the phytocoenological associations and subassociations recorded in this area. For each community, we provide the correct name and usual synonyms, its typification (where appropriate), all the references including relevés, and the most outstanding f...

From the data gathered in FloraCat, a synthesis of the herbaceous hygrophilous communities of Catalonia is presented, under the form of a phytocoenological sheme. 100 associations have been considered, as clearly documented through relevés from the area. For each one, the biogeographic character, the frequency or rarity in the area and the level of...

Aquest article estudia la vegetació dels sembrats (classe Secalietea Br.-B1. 1952) de la Baixa Cerdanya i zones adjacents mitjançant el mètode fitocenològic i fa un repàs d'aquest tipus de comunitats a la Catalunya extramediterrània. Els sembrats dels terrenys àcids són referits a l'associació Scleranthetum annui Br.-B1. 1915, de l’aliança Sclerant...

Hieracium castellanum Boiss. & Reut., a new species for the Pyrenean flora