Genetic Structure of Coastal Phoenicean Juniper forests in the National Park Archipiélago de Cabrera: Relative contribution of historical effects and current dispersal by frugivorous birds (GENSABINA)
GENSABINA aims at evaluating the combined effect of recent historical events, caused by changes in human activities, and current ecological processes (focusing on see dispersal by frugivores) on the genetic structure of the populations of coastal Phoenicean Juniper (Juniperus phoenicea turbinata) at the National Park Archipelago de Cabrera.The regression of juniper-dominated forests at the Archipiélago de Cabrera in relatively recent historical times, associated to human activities and to the introduction of exotic herbivores, has been followed by a spectacular recovery in recent times when the aforementioned factors of degradation have been reverted. Hence, the abandonment of agriculture in the Central valley of Cabrera-Gran Island, approx. 30 years ago, and the eradication of feral goats during the last decade, have resulted in the rapid regeneration of the coastal juniper forest.
A key element of such recovery has probably been the fast and active dispersal of Phoenicean Juniper seeds by another key species of Cabrera´s biota: the Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos). The broad flying range of this species suggests that, despite the population bottleneck suffered by the Phoenicean Juniper in Cabrera during the recent regression-recolonization cycle, the arrival of seeds from distant individuals may hae resulted in the maintenance of high levels of genetic diversity.
This project aims at evaluating this hypothesis, using a combination of techniques that includes geostatistics, molecular analysis, tracking of animal movements by telemetry, and spatially-explicit modelling. The project will generate and validate seed-dispersal models of Phoenicean Juniper by Song Thrush, and will be subsequently used to project the effect of different management and climate-change scenarios on the
population and genetic structure of this plant species.
