Picos De Research Articles

PERCEPTION OF LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM IN THE VISION OF STAKEHOLDERS IN THE WESTERN SIERRA MORENA (ANDALUSIA, SPAIN)

Rural spaces take into account the multifunctionality of uses and economic diversification as adaptive strategies for development, while becoming areas for new socio-economic activities. Tourism is regarded as a tool for generating local development processes in this context. The goal of this study is to investigate the local development processes triggered by tourist activity in the three westernmost Nature Parks of Sierra Morena: Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche (Huelva), Sierra Norte de Sevilla (Seville) and Sierra de Hornachuelos (Cordoba). A mixed methodology was applied: (1) conducting interviews with stakeholders so as to ascertain the perception of those who participate in the development processes or influence them; (2) using secondary data to evaluate the impact of tourism on local development. The results of the work indicate that: (1) turning the areas into Nature Parks has repercussions on the tourist supply and demand; (2) the economic dimension of tourism in local development is prevalent in the dominant discourse, while expectations are not found; (3) socio-cultural impacts on the community are barely perceived by stakeholders, with few positive impacts of tourism on the local community; (4) the environmental dimension is regarded as a personal, rather than a collective matter, underestimating environmental impacts; (5) tourism development in the different municipalities and Nature Parks is irregular. In conclusion, the effect of tourism on local development processes in the study area is limited, although there are differences between municipalities and Nature Parks.

South European mountain butterflies at a high risk from land abandonment and amplified effects of climate change

Abstract Data from existing monitoring schemes point to a global crisis of butterflies across Europe, with habitat loss/degradation, climate change and chemical pollution as the main drivers of decline. The existing butterfly time series from Western Europe come from densely populated, relatively flat areas. However, population trends from less populated areas, such as mountain ranges in the south of Europe, have been less studied, despite these areas harbouring one of the highest butterfly biodiversity of the continent. Here, we analyse trends for butterfly populations in a Southwestern Europe mountain range (Picos de Europa, Northwest Spain), for the last 9 years (2013–2021), across an altitudinal gradient (80–2000 m). We show that this region, protected as National Park more than 100 years ago, is nonetheless under a great threat, with a decline in butterfly abundance of, on average, 5.7% per year (45.7% cumulative decline in the last 9 years). Species at higher elevations are faring worse than those at low elevations and communities at mid‐elevations (below the tree line) are changing towards higher abundance of species with a preference from closed habitats. Combined effects of amplified climate change in mountains and habitat loss, due to abandonment of traditional management, appear to be affecting both individual species and community composition of butterflies in our study area.

Superimposed brittle structures in polyorogenic contexts: Variscan and Alpine faults in the Duje Valley (Picos de Europa, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Abstract Detailed geological mapping of a highly fractured Paleozoic (pre-Permian) basement and the scarce outcrops of overlying Permian–Mesozoic cover in the surroundings of the Duje Valley (Picos de Europa Unit, Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain), together with new field data, have allowed the separation of four genetic fault sets in a polyorogenic area, affected by the Variscan and Alpine cycles. These fault sets are, from oldest to youngest: Variscan thrusts (late Carboniferous), late Variscan strike-slip faults (late Carboniferous–earliest Permian), Alpine normal faults (Permian–Mesozoic) and Alpine reverse faults (Cenozoic). A structural analysis is reported here, based on the joint use of geometric, kinematic and deformational features, cross-cutting and tectono – sedimentary relationships between the structures. This analysis has allowed the recognition and full characterization of the four fault sets. These types of structural analyses are useful for unravelling complex tectonic histories in regions where massive limestone lithologies make reconstructing the timing of fault activity difficult, especially if the basement is affected by late deformation events that are not recorded by cover outcrops.

Multi-Analytical Techniques to Define the Mineralogical and Petrophysical Characteristics and Provenance of Siliceous Lithic Findings: The Case Study of La Calvera Rock Shelter (Cantabria, Spain)

This archaeometric study aims at characterizing the archaeological finds belonging to the lithic industry from La Calvera rock shelter (Camaleño, Cantabria) and at hypothesizing the possible provenance of each material. The site, located in the mountainous area of Picos de Europa National Park (more than 1000 m a.s.l.) close to the megalithic complex of Peña Oviedo, is characterized by the presence of hearths and charcoal remains, ancient pottery, and a rich lithic assemblage composed of siliceous rocks dating back to >8000 BP and linked to the first Holocene occupations of the Cantabrian Mountains. For the study of the rock shelter’s lithic assemblage, a multi-analytical approach was used: SEM-EDS and XRD analyses were performed to define the microtextural characteristics of samples and to identify the amorphous/crystalline phases; physical and mechanical tests were conducted to define the petrophysical properties (density, porosity, imbibition and saturation indexes, mechanical strength) of the samples. Preliminary data of chemical compositions, obtained by portable XRF, are also presented. The results show that the different siliceous materials (quartzite, cherts, hyaline quartz) can be distinguished through the basic analytical techniques used here. In addition, most of the archaeological samples have mineralogical and petrographic features similar to the natural samples coming from nearby outcrops, corroborating the hypothesis of a local material supply. The presence of local sources of useful raw materials could have favoured the site’s occupation. Finally, the diverse compositional and textural feature of the analysed materials result in different mechanical properties (porosity, density, hardness, workability), so they likely had different uses and technical functions.

The Effects of Tourism on Local Development in Protected Nature Areas: The Case of Three Nature Parks of the Sierra Morena (Andalusia, Spain)

In rural spaces, new activities are developed to add to the traditional ones in the context of multifunctionality, considering the protection and enhancement of natural and cultural heritage, as in natural parks. These incorporate new recreational and tourist functions, understood as an instrument for local development. This research aims to study the relationships between tourism and local development in three natural parks (Sierra de Aracena and Picos de Aroche, Sierra Norte de Sevilla, and Sierra de Hornachuelos) in Andalusia (Spain). The research uses a mixed methodology consisting of, on the one hand, selective interviews with stakeholders focused on tourism and local development processes and, on the other, secondary data to analyse the repercussions on local development. The results show (1) the prevalence among the informants of the economic dimension in local development above the environmental and sociocultural dimensions; (2) the influence of declarations of protection and implementation of development policies on the growth of the tourist offer; (3) uneven tourism development in the different municipalities and natural parks; and (4) the limited effects of tourism on local development.

Correction of phenology-induced effects in forest canopy height models based on airborne laser scanning data. Insights from the deciduous mountain forests in Picos de Europa National Park in Spain

The comparison of ALS time-series is an important element of modern landscape conservation planning, especially to monitor forest ecosystems. Modellers must evaluate phenology when comparing ALS-based maps of ground elevation or canopy height between years. We showcase the scenario using a National Park in the North-West of Spain where bi-temporal ALS has been used to map deciduous mountain forests. We compare the 2010 and 2021 surveys using the same algorithms to interpret ALS data and to generate actionable products for managers, mainly digital terrain models and canopy height models. We implemented a hybrid approach to correct the discrepancies between the surveys, showing the problems arising from differences in phenology or the selection of the scaling. We quantified around 5% of the area suffered from >1 m difference in DTM and higher impact on CHM values. With the hybrid method, modellers can highly reduce the uncertainty when comparing two ALS surveys and derivable products. We provided a solid graphical and analytical diagnosis of these emerging problems in the context of multi-temporal ALS surveys testing the hybrid approach at two resolutions: 1 and 2 m, fine-grained scales. The assessment of phenology-induced effects is important under the context of nationwide ALS survey programmes currently in operation and on high-demand. Finally, we discuss and frame the hybrid-approach as a well-suited vector of canopy gap detection methods to support conservation planning and enforce species-specific habitat improvements.

What Hides in the Heights? The Case of the Iberian Endemism Bromus picoeuropeanus

Bromus picoeuropeanus is a recently described species belonging to a complex genus of grasses. It inhabits stony soils at heights ranging from 1600 to 2200 m in Picos de Europa (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain). This species is morphologically very similar to B. erectus, partially sharing its presumed distribution range. We aim to determine the relationship between these species and their altitudinal ranges in Picos de Europa and the Cantabrian Mountains by conducting phylogenetic analyses based on nuclear (ETS and ITS) and chloroplastic (trnL) markers. Phylogenetic trees were inferred by Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference. Haplotype networks were estimated based on the plastid marker. Although the ITS topologies could not generate exclusive clades for these species, the ETS analyses generated highly supported B. picoeuropeanus exclusive clades, which included locations outside its altitudinal putative range. The ETS-ITS and ETS-ITS-trnL topologies generated B. picoeuropeanus exclusive clades, whereas the trnL-based trees and haplotype networks were unable to discriminate B. erectus and B. picoeuropeanus. This evidence suggests that B. picoeuropeanus is a separate species with a larger distribution than previously thought, opening new questions regarding the evolution of B. erectus and other similar species in European mountainous systems. However, more information is needed regarding B. picoeuropeanus susceptibility to temperature rises.

(2946) Proposal to conserve the name Iris latifolia (Mill.) Voss (Iridaceae) against I. latifolia Heer (fossil Iridaceae)

(2946) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Iris latifolia</i> (Mill.) Voss (<i>Iridaceae</i>) against <i>I. latifolia</i> Heer (fossil <i>Iridaceae</i>)

Ground and Near-Rock Surface Air Thermal Regimes in the High Mountain of the Picos De Europa (Cantabrian Mountains, NW Spain)

Even when the influence of climate on the geomorphological dynamics of mountain areas is well known, the ground and near-rock surface air thermal regimes of the highest altitude Cantabrian massifs still being poorly understood. This study, based on the examination of the thermal data obtained through the use of air and soil temperature dataloggers, aims to characterize the thermal regime of one of the most representative high mountain massifs of the Cantabrian Mountains: the Western Massif of the Picos de Europa. Results show the severe climatic conditions that prevail in the highest areas, where the snow cover lasts for 8 months on average, exerting an important insulating role of the soil. Thus, except on the uncovered rocky walls, the number of freeze-thaw cycles per year is low (0–16), with these cycles having a short duration and a low thermal amplitude. Significantly differences on annual thermal regimes have been confirmed; with two main phases (continued thaw phase and isothermal phase) and two minor transition phases at the ground, and only two main phases in near-rock surfaces (continued thaw phase and phase with a high number of FTCs).

New insights on patterns of genetic admixture and phylogeographic history in Iberian high mountain populations of midwife toads.

Multiple Quaternary glacial refugia in the Iberian Peninsula, commonly known as "refugia within refugia", allowed diverging populations to come into contact and admix, potentially boosting substantial mito-nuclear discordances. In this study, we employ a comprehensive set of mitochondrial and nuclear markers to shed light onto the drivers of geographical differentiation in Iberian high mountain populations of the midwife toads Alytes obstetricans and A. almogavarii from the Pyrenees, Picos de Europa and Guadarrama Mountains. In the three analysed mountain regions, we detected evidence of extensive mito-nuclear discordances and/or admixture between taxa. Clustering analyses identified three major divergent lineages in the Pyrenees (corresponding to the eastern, central and central-western Pyrenees), which possibly recurrently expanded and admixed during the succession of glacial-interglacial periods that characterised the Late Pleistocene, and that currently follow a ring-shaped diversification pattern. On the other hand, populations from the Picos de Europa mountains (NW Iberian Peninsula) showed a mitochondrial affinity to central-western Pyrenean populations and a nuclear affinity to populations from the central Iberian Peninsula, suggesting a likely admixed origin for Picos de Europa populations. Finally, populations from the Guadarrama Mountain Range (central Iberian Peninsula) were depleted of genetic diversity, possibly as a consequence of a recent epidemic of chytridiomycosis. This work highlights the complex evolutionary history that shaped the current genetic composition of high mountain populations, and underscores the importance of using a multilocus approach to better infer the dynamics of population divergence.

Sustainability and Tourist Activities in Protected Natural Areas: The Case of Three Natural Parks of Andalusia (Spain)

As a form of protection, a nature park is often created to protect and valorise natural and cultural heritage in peripheral rural areas. However, in terms of multifunctionality, new nature parks incorporate traditional productive activities, such as recreational and tourist activities, which sometimes compromise sustainability. The research objective is to study the relationship between tourism and sustainability in the nature parks of Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche, Sierra Norte de Sevilla and Sierra de Hornachuelos that make up the Dehesas de Sierra Morena Biosphere Reserve in Andalusia, Spain. Therefore, selective interviews have been carried out with the stakeholders to establish their perception of sustainable tourism and the presence of dominant discourses. The main conclusions indicate: (1) the presence of different dominant discourses on sustainability, namely the conservationist and mercantilist ones, with the prevalence of the economic dimension; (2) poor awareness and adaptation to the context of global change; and (3) the presence of competitive relationships that generate difficulties for the governance of sustainable tourism.

The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Spanish Protected Areas: the Case of Picos de Europa National Park

Protected areas are complex social-ecological systems; thus, they were unavoidably impacted by COVID-19. Spain is one of the most diverse countries in terms of biodiversity in the European Union and the second most visited country in 2019 and third touristic destination worldwide. Understanding the effects of the pandemic in Spanish protected areas is very important to discuss new possibilities on how to drive sustainable development on these conserved spaces and how to manage them in the event of external shocks and uncertain scenarios. Therefore, the aim of this study is to have a better understanding of the effects and opportunities of the pandemic on Spanish protected areas. To address this concern, a qualitative analysis is conducted based on an assessment of secondary literature and relevant interviews. Picos de Europa national park was chosen as case study because of its unique features. This study shows the drawbacks of the pandemic in Picos de Europa in terms of management operations, drastic fluctuation of visitors, loss of tourism revenues, vulnerability of neighboring communities, missed opportunities in conservation and education and pressure on nature. On the other hand, it poses opportunities in terms of technology, innovation, fundings, lessons learned, rise in educational and conservation activities and more awareness on the environment and rural surroundings. This study suggests that is difficult to find a win-win solution that includes the targets of nature conservation, viability of local economies and tourism activities in Picos de Europa. Ideas for management options that focus on dealing with the negative outcomes of the pandemic are suggested.

Geographical indications in cheese mountain areas: Opportunity or threat to landscape and environmental conservation? The case of Cabrales (Spain)

This paper examines the impact of Geographical Indications in cheese mountain areas, exploring their potential to contribute to landscape and environmental sustainability by drawing on field work and documental evidences from Cabrales (Asturias, NW Spain). The Cabrales mountain, nestled in the Picos de Europa National Park, embraces a millenary culture linked to the elaboration of an intense flavor blue cheese. The commercial success of this cheese motivated, 40 years ago, the creation of the Cabrales Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). From that moment on, the implementation of certain control measures that affect the production process, together with the increase in demand, led to the disappearance of small producers and to the intensification of livestock management practices. Cheese producers took the opportunity that the PDO label gave them, and the PDO provided the context in which cheese production became an effective barrier against the degradation of the rural system. However, nowadays the intensification of livestock management practices constitutes the main threat to landscape and environmental conservation. Therefore, Local administrators and stakeholders should consider the need to reinforce the idea of a product whose quality is linked to environmental and landscape sustainability through the maintenance of the traditional extensive management practices.

A new species of Pseudomoraria from an alpine spring of Picos de Europa, North of Spain

Pseudomoraria triglavensis was described by Brancelj (1994) from specimens collected in a high-alpine reservoir at the Triglav National Park (NW Slovenia) at an altitude of 1690 m a.s.l. During an expedition in the Picos de Europa National Park (N Spain) in 2018, a new species of Pseudomoraria was collected in an epikarst spring (Fuente Escondido), below the ice cave of Altaiz at an altitude of 2112 m a.s.l. The new species can be easily distinguished from Pseudomoraria triglavensis by the presence of an inner seta on the edopodite 1 of female and male pereopod 1; absence of the outer spine on the exopodite 2 of the third and fourth female pereopods; four, instead of five setae on the second endopodite of the fourth female pereopod; and the female furca lacks the ventral distal patch of spinules characteristic of P. triglavensis. In the male, the new species differs from its congeners by the position and shape of the apophysis of the second edopodite of the pereopod 3, which is positioned in the outer, instead of the inner margin, and is bent around the distal inner spine; the second exopodite of the pereopod 4 has spines/setae, lacking the innermost seta which is present in P. triglavensis. The female armature of the pereopod 5 is highly variable, with 4-6 setae/spines on the exopod and 4-6 setae on the baso-endopod. According to Brancelj (1994), P. triglavensis could not be included in any genus known at the time and concluded, based on the armature of the pereopod 5 of both sexes, that it would be most closely related to Moraria. We disagree with this author and propose a close relationship of this genus with the genus Hypocamptus Chappuis, 1929 sharing similar male pereopod segmentation and armature. In addition, the species belonging to both genera are a characteristic for the fauna of the alpine water bodies. It is not yet clear the phylogenetic relationship between the two genera, but evidences suggest that Pseudomoraria may be a junior synonym of Hypocamptus.

A System of Indicators for Socio-Economic Evaluation and Monitoring of Global Change: An Approach Based on the Picos de Europa National Park

National Parks are spaces that are of great interest for evaluating and monitoring global environmental change as these parks encompass natural, cultural, and rural features, along with ecological processes, which are subject to social or economic changes that are much more difficult to track outside of these spaces. To do this, it is necessary to have a sufficient set of data and indicators to monitor the effects of global change in the short, mid, and long term. The majority of indicators have been developed to monitor the bio-geophysical environment; socio-economic indicators of global change for National Parks are much more limited. The aim of this paper is to present a system of indicators for socio-economic evaluation and monitoring of global change for the Picos de Europa National Park. This park has two unique features: it has one of the two systems of socio-economic indicators developed for the Spanish National Parks, and it is practically the only one of Spain’s 16 National Parks with human populations living within its boundaries. Many of the indicators specifically developed for this park can be used for other national parks that have similar characteristics.

Hydrograph separation for tackling equifinality in conceptual hydrological models

Attributing a physical meaning to the calibration of a conceptual hydrological model is a risk due to equifinality, i.e., the existence of multiple optimal parameterizations that might or might not represent the actual behavior of a catchment; a risk that propagates to posterior studies that use the outputs of the hydrological model as an input. This study proposes and analyses sequential procedures for calibrating conceptual hydrological models aimed at reducing equifinality. These procedures force the model to reproduce a flow separation of the observed streamflow into quick flow and base flow, which we assumed representative of the run-off generating processes in the catchment. The sequential calibration of the model parameters that control quick flow and base flow forces the model to reproduce the flow separation, and introduces additional constraints in the calibration process that reduce equifinality and improve the overall calibration procedure. We applied this procedure to two mesoscale catchments in the “Picos de Europa” National Park (northern Spain). We compared the performance of the different calibration procedures both in the real scenario and in hypothetical scenarios of land use and soil permeability, to provide a sounder assessment of the ability of the procedures under diverse conditions. Results show that a calibration method applying hydrograph separation ensures models with a better discharge partition, whereas methods that do not apply separation failed in a considerable number of cases. In terms of performance (NSE and bias), the method applying hydrograph separation outperformed the reference method (without separation) for the real scenario, even for total streamflow; in the hypothetical scenarios though, the improvement in process representativeness came at the expense of a slight loss in performance. The sequential methods here developed were more computationally efficient; since they explore the parameter space in subsets, the number of iterations until convergence was a third of that needed with the reference method. In summary, we have developed a simple calibration procedure that ensures a better model behavior (more in line with the underlying conceptualization) with a similar, and even better, performance and a shorter calibration time than the reference method.

From Forest Dynamics to Wetland Siltation in Mountainous Landscapes: A RS-Based Framework for Enhancing Erosion Control

Human activities have caused a significant change in the function and services that ecosystems have provided to society since historical times. In mountainous landscapes, the regulation of services such as water quality or erosion control has been impacted by land use and land cover (LULC) changes, especially the loss and fragmentation of forest patches. In this work, we develop a Remote Sensing (RS)-based modelling approach to identify areas for the implementation of nature-based solutions (NBS) (i.e., natural forest conservation and restoration) that allow reducing the vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems to siltation in mountainous regions. We used time series Landsat 5TM, 7ETM+, 8OLI and Sentinel 2A/2B MSI (S2) imagery to map forest dynamics and wetland distribution in Picos de Europa National Park (Cantabrian Mountains, northern Spain). We fed RS-based models with detailed in situ information based on photo-interpretation and fieldwork completed from 2017 to 2021. We estimated a forest cover increase rate of 2 ha/year comparing current and past LULC maps against external validation data. We applied this forest gain to a scenario generator model to derive a 30-year future LULC map that defines the potential forest extent for the study area in 2049. We then modelled the distribution of wetlands to identify the areas with the greatest potential for moisture accumulation. We used an S2 mosaic and topography-derived data such as the slope and topographic wetness index (TWI), which indicate terrain water accumulation. Overall accuracy scores reached values of 86% for LULC classification and 61% for wetland mapping. At the same time, we obtained the potential erosion using the NetMap software to identify potential sediment production, transport and deposition areas. Finally, forest dynamics, wetland distribution and potential erosion were combined in a multi-criteria analysis aiming to reduce the amount of sediment reaching selected wetlands. We achieved this by identifying the most suitable locations for the conservation and restoration of natural forests on slopes and in riparian areas, which may reduce the risk of soil erosion and maximise sediment filtering, respectively. The results show a network pattern for forest management that would allow for controlling erosion effects across space and time at three levels: one, by reducing the load that originates upslope in the absence of forest cover; two, by intersecting runoff at watercourses related to sediment transport; and three, by a lack of former barriers, by trapping erosion near to the receiving wetland systems, main river axes and contributing streams. In conclusion, the proposed methodology, which could be transferred to other mountain regions, allows to optimise investment for erosion prevention and wetland conservation by using only very specific areas of the landscape for habitat management (e.g., for NBS implementation).

Floral remains from the highest Valdeón formation, a marine stephanian unit south of the Picos de Europa, and comparisons with eastern Asturias, NW Spain

A critical analysis is presented of the available data on the Valdeón Formation, a Stephanian unit southwest of the Picos de Europa, in northern Leon. It lies unconformably on Devonian and lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) strata of the Gildar-Montó nappe structure, and is overthrust from the northwest by a variety of older strata of the Ponga unit. The Valdeón Formation, consisting of mudstones, sandstones and lensing conglomerate bands, is largely unfossiliferous and probably marine up to the highest levels where possibly lagoonal deposits contain a drifted megafloral assemblage, which is of Barruelian or later age. This flora is documented here with illustrations and the various taxa are discussed. Comparison is made with a succession of upper Cantabrian and lower Barruelian strata in northern Palencia (Brañosera and Barruelo formations), which show a broadly similar stratigraphic development. Floras from a small terrestrial interval near the base of the predominantly marine strata of Stephanian B age in eastern Asturias (at Fontecha and Arenas de Cabrales) are discussed for the overall comparison, but these floras are later in age and the relevant strata, belonging to the post-Asturian basin, show a different development. These later Stephanian floras are listed but only two species are illustrated.

First record of Gzhelian fusulinaceans from the Carboniferous of northern Spain

Several fusulinacean species of Gzhelian age have been found in a section close to the village of Asiego, in the northern part of Picos de Europa Massifs (Cantabrian Mountains). These specimens, which were collected in limestone beds from the upper part of the Puentelles Formation, belong to the genera Triticites, Rauserites, Jigulites, Ferganites and Quasifusulina and are the youngest fusulinaceans recorded in the Carboniferous of the Cantabrian Mountains. Among these microfaunas, Jigulites sp. bears the main stratigraphic significance since the Jigulites species are considered to be restricted to the Gzhelian stage. Therefore, the discovery of these species proves the presence of Gzhelian marine deposits in the area.

Cave mountain permafrost environments in Picos de Europa and their implications

The thermal definition of permafrost can be attributed to a wide diversity of periglacial environments, one of which is ice caves. This study analyzes ice caves in relation to the thermal aspect of permafrost with the aim of describing ice caves with permafrost in the temperate high mountain of the Picos de Europa and their implications in the interpretation of ice caves as permafrost indicators. Ice caves provide the environmental conditions of mountain permafrost, with annual mean temperatures below 0ºC over several consecutive years and multiple perennial cryomorphologies. Ice caves are not found at sites where surface environments have permafrost, however endoclimatic features and cryomorphological elements indicate environments with permafrost in the upper part of the cavities currently entirely unrelated to surface climatic conditions. Based on endoclimate data and on landform types and cryomorphic processes, a classification is established unrelated to surface permafrost environments: cave mountain permafrost environment.