Understanding the ecology of populations located in the rear edge of their distribution is
key to assessing the response of the species to changing environmental conditions. Here, we focus on
rear-edge populations of Quercus pyrenaica in Sierra Nevada (southern Iberian Peninsula) to analyze
their ecological and floristic diversity. We perform multivariate analyses using high-resolution
environmental information and forest inventories to determine how environmental variables differ
among oak populations, and to identify population groups based on environmental and floristic
composition. We find that water availability is a key variable in explaining the distribution of
Q. pyrenaica and the floristic diversity of their accompanying communities within its rear edge.
Three cluster of oak populations were identified based on environmental variables. We found
differences among these clusters regarding plant diversity, but not for forest attributes. A remarkable
match between the populations clustering derived from analysis of environmental variables and
the ordination of the populations according to species composition was found. The diversity of
ecological behaviors for Q. pyrenaica populations in this rear edge are consistent with the high genetic
diversity shown by populations of this oak in the Sierra Nevada. The identification of differences
between oak populations within the rear-edge with respect to environmental variables can aid with
planning the forest management and restoration actions, particularly considering the importance of
some environmental factors in key ecological aspects.LIFE-ADAPTAMED: Protection of key ecosystem services by adaptive management of Climate Change endangered Mediterranean socioecosystems
LIFE14 CCA/ES/000612H2020 project European Long-Term Ecosystem and socio-ecological Research Infrastructure (eLTER)European Research Council (ERC)
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