Flora of the Mediterranean basin in the chilean "espinales"evidence of colonisation
- Martín Forés, Irene
- Casado González, Miguel Ángel
- Castro Parga, María Isabel
- Ovalle, C.
- Pozo Lira, Alejandro del
- Acosta Gallo, Belén
- Sánchez Jardón, L.
- Miguel Garcinuño, José Manuel de
ISSN: 0210-1270
Year of publication: 2012
Issue Title: Crazing systems and biodiversity in Latin American Areas: Colombia, Chile and Mexico
Volume: 42
Issue: 2
Pages: 137-160
Type: Article
More publications in: Pastos: Revista de la Sociedad Española para el Estudio de los Pastos
Abstract
In Chile�s Mediterranean region, over 18% of plant species are alien. This is particularly noteworthy in some agrosilvopastoral systems such as the espinales, which are functionally very similar to the Spanish dehesas and are of great ecological and socioeconomic interest. In the present paper we analyse Chile�s non-native flora, considering three scales of analysis: national, regional (the central region, presenting a Mediterranean climate) and at community level (the espinales within the central region). We compare this flora with that recorded in areas of the Iberian Peninsula with similar lithological and geomorphological characteristics, and land use. We discuss possible mechanisms that might have been operating in the floristic colonisation from the Mediterranean Basin to Chile�s Mediterranean region.