Vegetation of the Canary Islands

437 Pages·2018·50.63 MB·English

by  Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar

Plant and Vegetation 16
Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar 
Octavio Rodríguez Delgado
Vegetation
of the
Canary
Islands
Plant and Vegetation
Volume 16
Series editor
M.J.A. Werger, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Plant and Vegetation is a new Springer series comprising a series of books that
present current knowledge and new perspectives on world vegetation. Examining
the ecology of plants and vegetation at all scales – from plant to landscape – and
covering key issues such as globalization, invasive species, climate change and the
dynamics of plant biodiversity, this book series draws together a wide range of
material of interest to plant ecologists, vegetation scientists, and geographers around
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researchers in environmental and biological sciences, as well as for landscape
planners and policy makers involved in land-use and restoration projects at local,
regional and international levels.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/7549
Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar
Octavio Rodríguez Delgado
Vegetation of the Canary
Islands
Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar Octavio Rodríguez Delgado
Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant
Physiology Physiology
University of La Laguna University of La Laguna
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
ISSN 1875-1318 ISSN 1875-1326 (electronic)
Plant and Vegetation
ISBN 978-3-319-77254-7 ISBN 978-3-319-77255-4 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77255-4
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018936354
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Acknowledgments
We thank the editor of the Plant and Vegetation series Marinus J.A. Werger for his
valuable help during the process of writing and editing this book. His suggestions,
advice and corrections were important for improving its content. We are also grate-
ful to Valeria Renaud (Publishing Editor) and Ineke Ravesloot (Assistant Editor) for
their kind assistance as well as Sathiamoorthy Rajeswari (Project Manager at SPi
Technologies India Pvt Ltd). Thanks also to Guido Jones Carter for his comments
and preliminary proofreading.
Special thanks are due to all botanical colleagues at the University of La Laguna
with whom we have shared laboratory and field work, and publications, during our
careers.
Thanks to GRAFCAN for kind permission for including versions of our maps
(Mapa de Vegetación de Canarias).
v
Introduction
The purpose of this book is to describe the vegetation of the Canary Islands, includ-
ing relevant floristic aspects, for students and scholars of nature. The work is a
synthesis of numerous publications and also provides data derived from the experi-
ence accumulated by the authors during many years of teaching and research in
these subjects at the University of La Laguna. It tries to reflect the enormous floris-
tic and phytocoenotic biodiversity of these islands, which constitute natural labora-
tories for studies of flora, vegetation, biogeography, geology, bioclimatology,
ecology, and so on. To do this, in the preliminary chapters, we approach topics
essential to a contextual understanding of the physical and biotic framework in
which the vegetation units are described.
The “geographic framework” chapter situates the Canaries as oceanic and volca-
nic islands in the context of Macaronesia and provides geographical data of interest.
The “climate” chapter defines the main factors determining the Canary climate and
its variety, paying particular attention to the decisive influence of the trade winds in
the generation of different climatic zones typical in the development of the distinct
plant communities. In addition, the main types of weather are synthesized. The
chapter on “bioclimate” provides selected key data, as considered in the world bio-
climatic classification in the establishment of its various units. There is special ref-
erence to those data used for characterization of bioclimatic belts within the
Mediterranean macrobioclimate. Correlations between potential climatophilous
communities and bioclimatic belts in the Canary Islands are established, providing
representative bioclimographs and examples of bioclimatic cartography.
The “biogeography” chapter begins with considerations about the plant coloni-
zation of the archipelago in a variable geological and paleo-climatic framework,
since the appearance of the first subaerial edifices of the archipelago and its sur-
roundings. The possible vectors of colonization and the main sources of flora are
established. Finally, the biogeographic classification we follow is justified by means
of geographic, bioclimatic, floristic, and phytocoenotic criteria, considering the
Canaries as included within the Canarian-Madeiran subregion of the Mediterranean
region. This chapter touches on different floristic aspects, which are further
explained in the next chapter on “other floristic considerations.” Insular plant (s.l.)
vii
viii Introduction
biodiversity is quantified and the importance of generic and specific endemics is
highlighted, comparing them with those of the other Macaronesian archipelagos.
Common and differential elements are exemplified.
The “vegetation” chapter constitutes the bulk of the work. Vegetation is charac-
terized from a phytosociological point of view. First, we present an “overview”
where the main potential communities growing from coast to summit are character-
ized, framing them within their altitudinal limits and bioclimatic belts. Physiognomy,
structure, environmental aspects, floristic composition, origin and affinities, and
distribution are considered in their descriptions. Their main substitutional commu-
nities are indicated and also, where appropriate, the other important edaphophilous
communities growing in their climatophilous domains. In the section “current veg-
etation units,” we follow a syntaxonomic nomination for the communities, although
sometimes some physiognomic units are additionally included. The communities
are later collected and ordered into a syntaxonomic catalog, in Appendix 1.
Summarized descriptions of communities (physiognomy, structure, bioclimatic
belts, environmental factors, dynamic status, character species, and distribution) are
provided. Descriptions of special Canary communities are further detailed, espe-
cially those with a climatophilous character or greater representivity in the Canary
landscape. For each of the four most representative phytosociological classes of
climatophilous vegetation we have inserted a list of characteristic species of their
communities. In the section “Potential vegetation”, the climatophilous and eda-
phophilous vegetation series are summarized by mentioning the typical communi-
ties representing their final stages. The main permanent communities are also listed,
ordered according to the environment in which they grow. Then, we briefly mention
the most typical vegetation complexes and geosigmeta. The species are acompanied
by the family to which they belong, their common name, biotype, and island
distribution.
The chapter on “changes in the natural landscape through human influence”
firstly considers the possible effect the aboriginal inhabitants exerted on the flora
and vegetation of the islands, and later the more intense transformation after the
conquest, from the end of the fifteenth century. It also considers the effect of climate
change on island vegetation, particularly regarding possible elevational displace-
ments of the vegetation, and habitat and diversity loss. The chapter on “conservation
status of the Canary flora and vegetation” shows the efforts made to protect them.
Red lists of threatened species are referred to, along with the legal framework for
the protection of species, natural reserves, and habitats. Botanical gardens, seed and
germplasm banks, and nurseries of utility in carrying out conservation and restora-
tion tasks are mentioned. Attention is also drawn to the danger posed by the multi-
tude of invasive plants spreading nowadays on the islands.
Finally, the volume is completed with several appendices. Appendix 1 presents
the “syntaxonomic scheme,” alphabetically arranged according to syntaxonomic
classes, indicating the island distribution. In Appendix 2, a “brief history of botani-
cal studies and explorations in the islands” is sketched. The main scientists con-
cerned with the studies of flora and vegetation are chronologically mentioned, along
with the current research centers in the Canaries carrying out studies on flora and
Introduction ix
vegetation. Appendix 3 contains “ethnobotanic notes” relating to phytonymy and
phyto-toponymy, and about some special trees or notable specimens. Finally,
Appendix 4 contains the most relevant literature used.
Tables, photos, and figures document and illustrate all the information
provided.
Department of Botany, Ecology Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar
and Plant Physiology Octavio Rodríguez Delgado
University of La Laguna
San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Contents
1 Geographic Framework ........................................................................... 1
2 Canary Climate ......................................................................................... 11
2.1 Anticyclonic Weather ......................................................................... 11
2.2 Saharan Weather ................................................................................ 14
2.3 Disturbed Weather ............................................................................. 15
2.4 Main Climatic Parameters ................................................................. 16
2.4.1 Thermometric Distribution ..................................................... 16
2.4.2 Rainfall Regime...................................................................... 17
2.4.3 Average Relative Humidity .................................................... 17
2.5 Island Type According to Altitude ..................................................... 18
3 Bioclimatology ........................................................................................... 19
3.1 Bioclimatic Belts ............................................................................... 20
3.2 B ioclimatic Belts in the Canary Islands ............................................. 23
3.3 Bioclimographs .................................................................................. 29
4 Biogeography ............................................................................................. 33
4.1 Colonization ....................................................................................... 33
4.1.1 Islands and Continental Territories ........................................ 33
4.1.2 Geological and Paleoclimatic Framework ............................. 36
4.1.3 Dispersal and Colonization .................................................... 37
4.1.4 Sources of Flora ..................................................................... 44
4.2 Biogeographic Classification ............................................................. 49
4.2.1 Geographic Criteria ................................................................ 52
4.2.2 Bioclimatic Criteria ................................................................ 53
4.2.3 Floristic Criteria ..................................................................... 53
4.2.4 Phytocoenotic Criteria ............................................................ 66
5 Other Floristic Considerations ................................................................ 69
5.1 Non-vascular Flora ............................................................................ 69
5.2 Vascular Flora .................................................................................... 74
5.3 Molecular Studies .............................................................................. 79
xi