The plant heritage of the Sierra del Aramo and its assessment (Cantabrian Mountains, NW of Spain)

Abstract

An analysis and assessment of the plant heritage of the Sierra del Aramo is carried out, a mid-mountain located in the Asturian Central Massif of the Cantabrian Mountains without administrative protection. It is a morphostructural and landscape unit very anthropized since the Neolithic, with different geoecological environments and that develops between two contrasted Atlantic biogeographic districts. This confers a high biodiversity, however, undervalued and in transformation due to recent sociocultural changes in the rural environment. To do this, the plant formations are mapped and analyzed through meticulous fieldwork, photointerpretation and GIS. Habitats of community interest are identified, and the Landscape Biogeographic Evaluation method is applied. As a result, 18 habitats of community interest that occupy almost half of the study area are delimited; and 21 vegetation formations are evaluated, of which eight communities achieve a high conservation priority, above 2,000 points.