Functional groups and traits in Mediterranean serpentine ecosystems (Sierra Bermeja, Spain)

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Hidalgo-Triana Noelia III, Botany, University of Malaga, Cártama, Spain, Pérez Latorre Andrés, Botany, University of Malaga, Malaga, Spain, James H. Thorne, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA and Adomou Aristide Sr., Botany and Ecology of plants, university of Abomey Calavi, Calavi

Background/Question/Methods and Results/Conclusions
The study of plant functional traits (PFTs) as key drivers of ecosystems is needed to establish the relationships between morphology and habitat.
In order to know the principal PFTs of serpentine vegetation in the Iberian Peninsula (Andalusia, Spain), we studied the south Iberian ultramafic scrublands to determine functional groups (FG), which can help to understand and manage the of the Sierra Bermeja (“Vermillion Mountain”, 400 km2) complexity of ecosystems. South Iberian serpentine ecosystems have 23 taxa with different serpentine affinity (serpentinophytes), most of them strictly endemics. The two types of scrublands studied were the: (a) Halimium atriplicifolium plant community and (b) Cistus populifolius plant community. Different plots (200*200m) were stablished in the respective communities, studying a total of 20 and 21 species, respectively.
Functional traits per species were measured (in more than ten individuals) to build a trait database. PFTs studied were: plant height, renewal bud location, branch type, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf hairiness, presence/absence of photosynthetic stems, morphology of root system, seasonality of assimilating organs and vegetative regeneration after fire following global standardized protocols.
We used Principal Component Analysis to identify the combination of functional traits with major weights, and a neighbor-joining clustering to define FG for these vegetation.
Among the most important results at a functional level, we obtained a high number of functional groups (between six to eight optimum number of clusters) relative to the total number of taxa. The functional groups obtained showed that these serpentine scrublands are composed of species with a wide ecological range of functional traits. The majority of the serpentinophytes resulted as: (1) chamaephytes (plants with renewal structures around 60 cm. above the soil) and hemixyle plants (plants with a reduced specific density of stems) and with a reduced plant size in comparison to other Mediterranean ecosystems; (2) with lower SLA due to thicker and/or denser leaves, which contributes to long leaf survival, nutrient retention and protection from desiccation; (3) malacophyllous, hairy and small-sized leaves; (4) dimorphic plants (with two types of branches/leaves depending of the seasonal moment) with partial shedding of leaves during summer-deciduous -seasonally dimorphic species-; and (5) with thickened tap roots and shallow root systems. The majority of the groups have post-fire adaptations via vegetative regeneration buds as with species in other Mediterranean ecosystems.
Studies of PFTs, and specially FG, may be useful for management of plant species in serpentine ecosystems.
Funding – CSO2017-83576-P