The impacts of global warming begin to be felt in the Spanish ecosystems, where scientists have already detected a progressive replacement of animal and plant species that allows to distinguish ” winners “and” losers “of climate change.
Fernando Valladares, a scientist at the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) and president of the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology, monitors the effects of Mediterranean climate change on forests using base two natural spaces, Cabañeros (Ciudad Real and Toledo) and the nature reserve Alto Tajo (Guadalajara and Cuenca).
In the latter, Valladares and his team are tracking several plots since 2004 , with results that “can be transferred to any Mediterranean forest”, explains in an interview with Efe.
At this time have observed that “the intensity and frequency” of extreme events in Spain is increased and resulting mainly to “loss of water resources.”
“extreme events Not only are the heat waves that occur in summer, a heat wave in February or a cold in May can have a much more destructive effect if they occur in the month in which they are expected “he says.
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achievements
What has detected this expert in biodiversity and climate change is that ” these extreme events cause suffering greatly to species, both animal and vegetable, and erase the achievements of regeneration “ you’ve gotten a forest during periods without such abrupt weather.
The tracking reaction of species to the increased intensity and frequency of extreme events can draw scientists a scenario of winners and losers in which “there will be major replacements”.
So Valladares and his team have seen the oak gain space to these episodes , while other Mediterranean as emblematic Corsican pine, juniper gall or have lost it.
” We see many slopes until now occupied by the black pine with more presence of oaks, or how well quejigo not replaced after an extreme event or at least not recover the growth rate that had previously ” details.
As for relevant animal species in this habitat, Valladares appointment Bonelli eagle among the hardest hit by a lethal combination of climate change and rural abandonment leading to increasingly fewer crops and areas associated with where they get their food. rabbits and partridges
When asked if these new scenarios will be better or worse, scientific answers depending on whether the winning species or provide the same ecosystem services have now (the ability to renew and purify water, for example, in the case of vegetables).
if you have clear it is that, in these new scenarios, is necessary for forest management policies are made taking into account not only the average values but scientific information on the impact of these extreme events each more frequent.
In this line, Valladares stresses that “local management” ecosystem is “the key” for these “do not exceed the border that leads them to collapse” on impact any extreme event caused by a global phenomenon like climate change
key.
local management
“If level Local adjusts the conditions of a natural space to be away from the border leading to collapse, such as exploitation of resources or the status of the species , you’ll have a huge scope to deal with a new climate. “
” I speak of actions of local management that can be performed in a legislature, in the range of two to three years, and allow preparation of ecosystems to tolerate and deal with extreme events that leads to climate change. With local action reinforce Achilles heels and create safety margins for your natural spaces “he insists.
Scientific notes that this preparation of ecosystems to have a margin and not collapse urges “in the most vulnerable areas, which are limited by water”.
He instances gaps in Castilla La Mancha and warns that to control the exploitation of water resources possess more tools suffer facing a wave of heat or low rainfall.
From these ecosystems not be “approach to limit and if this limit is exceeded key species will not be able to continue “.
With the collapse, remember, lose not only nature, we also free ourselves from the natural barriers protection against, for example, to the increasingly frequent torrential rains.
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