Aproximació a la flora i a les comunitats vegetals de Romanyà de la Selva

Abstract

To carry out the research, several field trips were made between winter and spring to identify

and photograph the species. The identifications were validated with citizen science tools such as

PlantNet and were compared with the biodiversity data bank of Catalonia and specialized

bibliography. The life form, relative abundance, habitat, distribution and phytosociological ascription

of each species were recorded. In parallel, vegetation inventories were carried out according to the

Sigmatist method, listing all its species and granting them the abundance-dominance index established

by Braun-Blanquet and, at the same time, noting environmental and structural variables such as

coverage, vegetation height, soil type, slope and orientation. The data collected were computerized

and analyzed with the Quercus and Ginkgo programs. The obtained rectangular matrices were applied

the K-means statistics -to divide the matrix into groups-, Silhouette -to decide the optimal number of

groups- and PCoA -to graphically represent the obtained groups-.

The results obtained allowed to clearly differentiate the coastal holm oak forest (Viburno

tini-Quercetum ilicis), the mountain holm oak forest (Asplenio onopteridis-Quercetum ilicis), various

types of Mediterranean scrub and meadows, each with its respective faithful and differential species.

The predominance at the level of coverage of phanerophytes such as the holm oak (Quercus ilex), a

key species for the forest structure, was confirmed, as well as the predominance at the specific level of

therophytes adapted to acidic soils and summer drought conditions typical of the Mediterranean

climate. At higher altitudes, the presence of Eurosiberian species was detected, indicating a cooler and

wetter microclimate within the massif.

This work expands the floristic database and provides relevant information for the

conservation and sustainable management of the territory, especially in the fight against invasive

species and in the custody of unique habitats. It reinforces the importance of conserving plant heritage and allows raising awareness in society about the biodiversity of Mediterranean forests. In addition, it

highlights the combination of classical techniques with modern statistical tools, guaranteeing reliable

and transferable results

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