Open AccessMonitoring a thermophilous woodland reforestation project in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Author(s) -
Francesco Rota,
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Mercedes Vidal-Rodríguez,
Alessandro Chiarucci,
José María FernándezPalacios,
Robert J. Whittaker,
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Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
sciencia insularum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2659-6644
DOI - 10.25145/j.si.2021.04.02
Subject(s) - reforestation , juniper , endangered species , woodland , vitality , habitat , geography , phenology , biology , ecology , forestry , genetics
The Canarian juniper woodland, dominated by Juniperus turbinata ssp. canariensis, is a priority habitat and is among the most endangered ecosystems of the European Union. Saplings of 12 species were planted between March 2006 and January 2008 within the Rural Park of Teno (Tenerife) during a LIFE reforestation project. To assess the replanting effectiveness, six 25 × 25 m permanent plots were established for monitoring plant conditions in 2014. We report the results of annual surveys up to 2019. We recorded vitality, phenology and size of 225 planted individuals belonging to eight different species. The vitality showed general positive trends, with a low 2018 decrease. Around 30% of surviving saplings displayed flowers or fruits in 2019. Juniperus turbinata ssp. canariensis and Olea cerasiformis presented a significant increment for all the growth traits, but only the juniper showed locally varied patterns of growth. We expect that the monitoring will contribute useful insights for other restoration projects for the endangered Canary endemic thermophilous woodland.