Abstract
The purpose of this study is to add more insight to the relationship between recent climate change and modifications in plant cover in supratimberline areas of Spain's Central Mountain Range. A 118 hectare study site was chosen at Puerto de los Neveros pass (2100 m) located on the ridge Peñalara (Montes Carpetanos), and between the high basins of the Lozoya and Eresma rivers. Historically, the pass is associated with the most abundant and long lasting snow accumulations in the Guadarrama Mountains, and with frequent use of the snow by local populations. A collection of sequenced aerial photographs of the plant cover was used to interpret the vegetation's spatial dynamics in relation to the evolution of thermal and snow depth variables recorded for the period 1951-2006 at the weather station at Puerto de Navacerrada. The significant value of the resulting coefficients confirms that plant cover at Puerto de los Neveros has been greatly affected by climate change, particularly by warmer winters, less snowfall and shorter snow duration, which have contributed to the shrinking surface area of snow hollows, high meadows and open shrublands and to the expansion of dense bush.
Highlights
The pass is associated with the most abundant and long lasting snow accumulations in the Guadarrama Mountains, and with frequent use of the snow by local populations
snow depth variables recorded for the period 1951-2006 at the weather station
The significant value of the resulting coefficients confirms that plant cover at Puerto de los Neveros has been greatly affected by climate change
Summary
El territorio estudiado es un cuadrado de 118 ha de extensión, que corresponde, como se ha dicho, a un collado situado en el sector más elevado de la sierra de Guadarrama. El área delimitada para el análisis incluye la divisoria de aguas en el tramo correspondiente al puerto (que tiene su punto más bajo a 2.096 m) y las áreas inmediatas a ella de una y otra ladera. El reconocimiento directo del terreno, que se ha realizado en varias visitas (llevadas a cabo siempre en el mes de septiembre) a partir del año 2004, ha permitido diferenciar en el área hasta 16 tipos elementales de cubierta vegetal, de los cuales 6 son de carácter herbáceo (pastizales, herbazales) y 10 de carácter prioritariamente arbustivo o subarbustivo (matorrales); sólo 1, introducido por el hombre, tiene naturaleza forestal (bosque de repoblación). Superficie ocupada por los grandes tipos de vegetación en las fechas correspondientes a las coberturas de fotografía aérea utilizadas
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