Las montañas representan un gran reto para la conservación, ya que suelen concentrar altos valores de biodiversidad y paisajes culturales de enorme interés ligados a prácticas tradicionales y comunitarias. En este contexto, el sistema de acequias de la Reserva de la Biosfera de Sierra Nevada (España) constituye un ejemplo paradigmático de infraestructura hidráulica que articula funciones ecológicas, productivas y culturales a escala de paisaje. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar cómo cinco escenarios socio-ecológicos derivados del abandono rural y los cambios socioeconómicos actuales condicionan la multifuncionalidad de los paisajes asociados a dichas acequias. Para ello, se realizó una revisión bibliográfica y un análisis cualitativo de los efectos que los escenarios Intensificación agrícola, Agrosistemas basados en conocimiento tradicional, Conservación estricta, Ecoturismo y Turismo deportivo tendrían sobre los servicios ecosistémicos asociados al sistema de acequias, si dichos escenarios llegaran a operar de forma dominante en el territorio. Los resultados sugieren que las acequias son un eje central del sistema socio-ecológico, al sostener servicios como la regulación hídrica, la fertilidad del suelo, la producción de alimentos, la conservación de hábitats y el sentido de pertenencia al territorio. El escenario de Agrosistemas basados en conocimiento tradicional es el que mejor preserva la multifuncionalidad del paisaje, aunque podría necesitar combinarse con actividades de ecoturismo responsable para garantizar un medio de vida a las personas. En contraste, la Intensificación agrícola, la Conservación estricta y el Turismo deportivo, con escasa o nula contribución al mantenimiento de las acequias, comprometen seriamente esta multifuncionalidad. Este análisis subraya la importancia de desarrollar enfoques de conservación que consideren la complejidad de los sistemas socio-ecológicos, lo que es clave para integrar biodiversidad, bienestar humano y justicia social. Instrumentos innovadores, como los pagos por servicios ambientales, pueden apoyar este proceso al visibilizar las asimetrías entre los que mantienen los paisajes y quienes se benefician de ellos.

Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) is one of the most narrowly distributed and endangered carnivores in the world. Until new records began to be collected in 2012, the species was known to occur only on Chiloé Island and the Nahuelbuta mountain range on the mainland. Here, we genotype the partial mitochondrial DNA control region, 11 microsatellite loci, and exon 2 and exon 3 of major histocompatibility complex class II to assess the genetic structure and variation of Darwin's foxes (n = 105) from all known localities, with 99 samples collected from the previously known populations and six from new localities where the species has been recorded. We found low genetic diversity, with six mitochondrial DNA haplotypes that were unevenly distributed across the population, strong microsatellite fixation and only one and two polymorphic loci in nuclear genes, respectively, raising major concern regarding susceptibility to infectious diseases. Genetic diversity was markedly lower on Chiloé than on the mainland, which hints at an interplay of founder effect and lack of gene flow following isolation other than small population size. The latter is a concern for the mainland counterpart, where it is compounded by high fragmentation. Since genetic data qualify these two populations as separate management units, conservations actions should be envisaged pertinently. Restoring and further enhancing the connectivity of mainland population is a priority. Based on the findings of this study, a reassessment of its IUCN conservation status, which is currently “Endangered”, might be urgently needed.

Mountains represent a major challenge for conservation, as they tend to concentrate high levels of biodiversity and cultural landscapes of huge interest linked to traditional and community practices. In this context, the traditional system of ditches of Sierra Nevada Biosphere Reserve (Spain) is a paradigmatic example of a hydraulic infrastructure that articulates ecological, productive, and cultural functions at the landscape scale. The objective of this study is to analyze how five socio-ecological scenarios resulting from rural abandonment and current socioeconomic changes condition the multifunctionality of the landscapes associated with these irrigation channels. To this end, we conducted a literature review and qualitative analysis of the effects that the scenarios of Agricultural intensification, Agrosystems based on traditional knowledge, Strict conservation, Ecotourism, and Sports tourism would have on the ecosystem services associated with the irrigation ditch system if these scenarios were to operate dominantly in the region. The results suggest that the ditches system is a central axis of the socio-ecological system, sustaining services such as water regulation, soil fertility, food production, habitat conservation, and a sense of belonging to the territory. The scenario of Agrosystems based on traditional knowledge best preserves the multifunctionality of the landscape. However, it may need to be combined with responsible Ecotourism activities to guarantee livelihoods for local people. In contrast, Agricultural intensification, Strict conservation, and Sports tourism, with little or no contribution to the maintenance of ditches, seriously compromise this multifunctionality. This analysis underscores the importance of developing conservation approaches that consider the complexity of socio-ecological systems, which is key to integrating biodiversity, human well-being, and social justice. Innovative instruments, such as payments for environmental services, can support this process by highlighting the asymmetries between those who maintain the landscapes and those who benefit from them.

Headwater streams are biodiversity-rich yet highly vulnerable ecosystems, especially in Mediterranean mountain regions where hydrological regimes are increasingly altered by irrigation and climate change. We assessed the effects of flow reduction by traditional irrigation weirs on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in five headwaters within the National–Natural Park of Sierra Nevada. We sampled upstream (reference) and downstream (flow-impacted) sites of the weirs in spring and autumn. We also quantified stream physicochemical characteristics and macroinvertebrates, and evaluated changes in their community structure. Flow reduction downstream of the abstraction points was severe (76–98

Abstract. Conceptual models of the Critical Zone (CZ) have been developed primarily in humid and temperate settings, where subsurface organization is often described as a function of continuous vertical gradients in hydrology, weathering, and biogeochemical development. The extent to which this vertical-gradient framework applies to arid CZs – where water limitation, episodic recharge, and spatially discontinuous resource distributions dominate – remains largely unexplored. Here, we evaluated whether microbial functional organization across an arid CZ follows broad saturated-unsaturated zonation or is instead shaped by localized hydrobiogeochemical heterogeneity. We combined community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) with analyses of substrate organic matter (OM) quantity and quality (estimated from δ¹³C signatures), substrate texture, and groundwater hydrochemistry from samples collected at multiple depths from eight boreholes spanning the unsaturated-saturated continuum of a groundwater-dependent ecosystem dominated by the facultative phreatophyte Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. in an arid Mediterranean setting. Microbial functional responses derived from carbon-source-use patterns were not primarily structured by saturated-unsaturated zonation per se. Instead, OM availability emerged as the dominant driver of both general microbial functional metrics and the utilization of several carbon-source groups, whereas OM quality exerted more selective effects on carbon-source-use patterns, altering the relative importance of different carbon-source groups under increasingly processed OM conditions. Substrate texture modulated these responses, with sandy fractions generally constraining microbial activity, although these effects were partially compensated by higher OM availability. Notably, groundwater-table position, groundwater hydrochemistry, proximity to Z. lotus individuals, and Z. lotus greenness did not emerge as significant drivers. In particular, the absence of relationships with either proximity to Z. lotus or its vegetation greenness indicates that the influence of this phreatophyte may be largely restricted to localized zones rather than extending across the broader subsurface matrix. These findings suggest that microbial functioning in arid CZs may be organized around spatially discontinuous hydrobiogeochemical resource patches and localized habitat heterogeneity rather than around the vertically structured gradients that characterize many humid-climate CZ conceptual models.

Crop type maps are essential for food security. However, there is a gap in information for worldwide maps that, at the same time, cover a wide period of time. The inability of classification algorithms to generalize information across years is one of the main reasons for this lack of information. This study aims to advance this direction by normalizing annual time series of wheat crops using the accumulation of Growing Degree Days (GDDs). Based on the Crop Data Layer (CDL) crop-type maps and Landsat 5, 7, and 8 imagery, we built yearly time series for the period 2008–2020. Then, we tested the performance of two normalization approaches: TRANCO, which uses Growing Degree Days (GDDs) and Crop Calendars to normalize time-series data; and Time Windows, which uses Crop Calendars to define wheat’s biofix dates and normalize time-series data. Furthermore, we compared them with a Baseline, meaning a time series without further processing. Such performance was tested in two main ways: By computing the Jeffries–Matusita (JM) distances between time series and their average behavior, and by training random forest classifiers. For the latter, we defined a training period (2017–2020) during which we trained the models, and a validation period (2008–2016), during which we validated them on years the models were not trained on. We found that TRANCO was the best normalization approach for bringing the time-series closer to a common behavior (JM = 0.3), compared to Time windows (JM = 0.4) or the Baseline. Also, it achieved the best classification results (F1 = 0.779), compared to Time windows (F1 = 0.71) or the Baseline (F1 = 0.73), and, in addition, TRANCO’s classifier was the most stable throughout the validation period, empowering past crop type classifications with classifiers trained in recent years.

Assessing ecosystem functioning is crucial for managing and conserving ecosystems and their services. Numerous ways to evaluate ecosystem functioning have been developed, using species traits, such as Plant Functional Types (PFTs), flux measurements with the Eddy Covariance (EC) technique, and remote sensing techniques. We propose that the spatial heterogeneity in ecosystem functioning at a regional scale can be assessed and monitored using satellite-derived Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs): groups of ecosystems or patches of the land surface that share similar dynamics of matter and energy exchanges. We hypothesize that, as observed for PFTs, different EFTs should have distinct patterns and magnitudes of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of carbon dioxide measured using the EC technique. We derived EFTs from 2001-2014 time-series of satellite images of the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and compared them with NEE measurements (derived from in situ field observations using the EC technique) across 50 European sites. Our results show that distinct EFTs classes display significantly different dynamics and magnitudes of NEE and that EFTs perform marginally better than PFTs in explaining NEE regional patterns. Land-cover maps based on PFTs are difficult to update on an annual basis and are not sensitive to changes in ecosystem performance (e.g., droughts or pests) that do involve short-term changes in PFT composition. In contrast, satellite-derived EFTs are sensitive to short-term changes in ecosystem performance. Satellite-derived EFTs are an ecosystem functional classification built from satellite observations that allow the identification of homogeneous land patches based on ecosystem functions, e.g., ecosystem net productivity measured on the ground as NEE. Satellite-derived EFTs can be recalculated annually, providing a straightforward way to assess and monitor interannual changes in ecosystem functioning and functional diversity.

Wildlife rehabilitation admissions are increasing globally, yet the conservation implications of these trends and their links to anthropogenic pressures and disease risk remain poorly understood. Here, we examine these dynamics in the southern pudu (Pudu puda), a near-threatened deer species endemic to the temperate rainforests of Chile and Argentina. Populations are increasingly affected by habitat loss, livestock presence, domestic dog attacks, and road collisions. We analyzed clinical records from 188 pudus admitted to two wildlife rehabilitation centers in the Los Lagos Region of Chilean Patagonia between 2015 and 2023. Records included serological or molecular screening for exposure to 20 infectious agents shared with domestic animals, along with demographic data and clinical outcomes, and were linked to local environmental variables in generalized additive models. Overall, 29.8% of tested individuals were positive for at least one infectious agent. Spatial analyses revealed an association between pathogen-positive cases and proximity to protected areas, suggesting that these zones may not consistently function as refuges from disease risk. Our findings highlight the value of wildlife rehabilitation data for detecting emerging threats and integrating wildlife health into conservation planning. Management actions that reduce dog-related and vehicle-related admissions and mitigate pathogen spillover at the wildlife-livestock interface will be essential to improve the long-term viability of P. puda populations in and around protected areas.

This dataset provides a spatially explicit classification of potentially groundwater-dependent vegetation (pGDV) in the Sierra Nevada Protected Area (Southern Spain), generated using Sentinel-2 imagery (2019–2023) and ecohydrological attributes derived from NDVI time series. NDVI metrics were calculated from cloud- and snow-filtered Sentinel-2 Level 2A images processed in Google Earth Engine. Monthly NDVI values were used to extract three ecohydrological indicators: dry-season NDVI, dry–wet seasonal NDVI difference, and interannual NDVI variability. Based on quartile classifications of these indicators, 64 ecohydrological vegetation classes were defined. These were further clustered into three levels of potential groundwater dependence using hierarchical clustering techniques, differentiating between alpine and lower-elevation aquifer zones.The dataset includes raster layers (GeoTIFF) of the ecohydrological classes and pGDV types at 10 m spatial resolution, a CSV file with descriptive statistics for each class, and complete metadata. All spatial layers are projected in ETRS89 / UTM Zone 30N (EPSG: 25830) and are ready for visualization and analysis in standard GIS platforms. Partial validation of the classification was performed using spring location data and the distribution of hygrophilous plant species from official conservation databases. This available dataset enables reproducible analysis of vegetation–groundwater relationships in dryland mountain ecosystems. It supports comparative research across regions, facilitates the study of groundwater buffering effects on vegetation function, and offers a transferable framework for ecohydrological classification based on remote sensing. The data can be reused to inform biodiversity conservation, groundwater management, and climate change adaptation strategies in the Mediterranean and other water-limited mountain regions.

Abstract In Mediterranean coastal landscapes under intense human pressure, conventional conservation strategies often fail to halt biodiversity loss. Addressing this challenge requires participatory approaches that reconcile conservation with socio‐economic development. Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea exemplifies these tensions. This legally protected shrub of Iberian–North African distribution, classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in Spain, is a characteristic species of the Habitat of Community Interest Arborescent Matorral with Ziziphus (5220*), defined by Council Directive 92/43/EEC. Over the past 50 years, this habitat has declined by more than 30%, mainly due to agricultural expansion and urban development. As an umbrella taxon, it plays a crucial role in mitigating land‐use change and safeguarding valuable coastal ecosystems in south‐eastern Iberia. To inform integrated management strategies for this taxon and its habitat, we combined a review of scientific and technical knowledge with two multidisciplinary workshops within the framework of the MAYTENUS.org initiative. These events brought together stakeholders from environmental administrations, local governments, research institutions, plant nurseries, environmental consultancies and NGOs. Participants collectively identified the main threats to the habitat, available restoration tools and key actions needed to balance conservation objectives with local development priorities. Practical implication. The process underscored the importance of participatory governance, co‐production of knowledge and adaptive territorial planning in strengthening the resilience of ecosystem services in the face of climate and land‐use change. We conclude that platforms like MAYTENUS.org can serve as effective interfaces for stakeholder engagement, shared territorial visions and the long‐term sustainability of threatened habitats, such as 5220*.

Traditional ditches (“acequias” in Spanish) derive meltwater and infiltrate groundwater providing ecological services downstream in the semi-arid Sierra Nevada range (SE Spain). Therefore, they may act as a nature-based solution by alleviating drought stress in trees growing near ditches by enhancing growth and reducing their intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). Such a mitigation role of acequias is critical given that some oak (Quercus pyrenaica) and pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands reach their xeric distribution limits in Europe. We compared tree-ring width data and wood δ13C, a proxy of iWUE, in oak and pine stands located near or far (control) from ditches with different infiltration capacity in two watersheds. We assessed how trees responded to climate data, drought stress, and vegetation greenness through correlations and resilience indices. Oak trees located near ditches grew more and responded less to precipitation, soil moisture, a drought index, and greenness than control trees. In pines, we did not find this pattern, and ditch trees grew more than control trees only during an extremely dry year (1995). Climate-growth correlations suggested a longer growing season in ditch pines. Growth of ditch oaks from the “Acequia Nueva” (AN), with high infiltration capacity, responded more to autumn soil moisture and showed the lowest δ13C. Growth was enhanced by cool-wet spring conditions in pines and also by warm-wet conditions in the prior winter in the case of oaks. Control trees showed lower resistance to drought. Control trees presented higher wood δ13C values except for old oaks from the “Acequia Grande” (AG) site which may show long-term acclimation. Traditional ditches alleviate drought stress in oak and pine stands subjected to regional xeric climate conditions.

Monitoring ecosystems should allow comparisons at local, regional, and continental scales. To this end, methodologies must capture the spatial and temporal variability caused by natural and anthropic factors, and metrics must be sensitive and responsive to environmental changes. Our aim in this research was to determine which ecosystem functioning attributes that can be captured through remote sensing best represent the spatial and temporal variability of terrestrial biomes on a global scale and to generate an array of biome-like entities, i.e., global ecosystem functional types, exclusively based on functional variables. We also evaluated the degree of complementarity of attributes and their phenometrics to describe ecosystem functioning. Using MODIS products, we estimated the seasonal dynamics of four variables related to carbon gains (the enhanced vegetation index, EVI), the radiation balance (surface albedo and surface temperature), and water dynamics (evapotranspiration). The four functional variables were evaluated in terms of (1) spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability, (2) the possibility of capturing that variability using a group of phenometrics with a clear ecological meaning, and (3) the complementarity between the most relevant functional attributes. We developed a global ecosystem functional type (GEFT) characterization that incorporated the three most informative and independent phenometrics of the four variables.Our analyses showed that the water cycle, radiation and heat balance of the surface, and carbon dynamics variability of the ecosystems of the entire planet can be synthesized by three common phenometrics that, applied to a functional variable, conform to an ecosystem functional attribute (i.e. magnitude, seasonality, and phenology of each functional dimensions). Global Ecosystem Functional Types (GEFTs) can not only track the spatial heterogeneity but also its temporal dynamics. By defining GEFTs based on the water cycle, energy balance of the surface, and carbon dynamics, we can characterize Earth's ecosystem typology in a consistent way across the whole biosphere.

IntroductionHerpesvirus infections have been highlighted as emerging diseases affecting wildlife health and the conservation of several taxa. Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) and infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC) are two viruses that infect wild ruminants. Nevertheless, epidemiological data on herpesviruses in South American wild ruminants are limited. An outbreak of caprine gammaherpesvirus-2 (CpHV-2) that recently was suspected as the cause of MCF in southern pudus (Pudu puda) prompted the need to conduct molecular screenings in Chilean cervids to understand the epidemiology of herpesviruses. The aim of this study was to determine the occurrence and genetic diversity of herpesviruses in free-ranging cervids from Chile.MethodsHerpesvirus infection was assessed in antemortem blood samples (n = 86) from pudus (n = 81) and huemuls (Hippocamelus bisulcus) (n = 5), as well as postmortem samples of spleen (n = 24) and lung (n = 3) from pudus, using a nested pan-herpesvirus PCR assay.ResultsCombining all suitable sample types, DNA of pudu gammaherpesvirus-1 was detected in five pudues and five huemuls, with an overall prevalence of 9.90% (n = 10/101; 95% CI = 5.11–17.87%). One pudu tested positive for ovine gammaherpesvirus-2 (n = 1/96; 1.04%; 95% CI = 0.05–6.49%), and one pudu tested positive for a Macavirus sequence with 98.63 similarity to ovine gammaherpesvirus-2 (n = 96; 1.04%; 95% CI = 0.05–6.49%).DiscussionTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a herpesvirus in huemul and of ovine gammaherpesvirus-2 in Chile. Our results also confirm the active circulation of herpesvirus in free-ranging cervids in Chilean Patagonia, and as such, MCF should be considered as a possible cause of disease in free-ranging Chilean pudus and livestock species. Further research is necessary to develop a plan of systematic monitoring (serological and pathological screening) of herpesviruses in Chilean wild and domestic ruminants to understand their diversity and impact on animal health and conservation.

A significant gap in exposure data for most livestock and zoonotic pathogens is common for several Latin America deer species. This study examined the seroprevalence against 13 pathogens in 164 wild and captive southern pudu from Chile between 2011 and 2023. Livestock and zoonotic pathogen antibodies were detected in 22 of 109 wild pudus (20.18%; 95% CI: 13.34–29.18) and 17 of 55 captive pudus (30.91%; 95% CI: 19.52–44.96), including five Leptospira interrogans serovars (15.38% and 10.71%), Toxoplasma gondii (8.57% and 37.50%), Chlamydia abortus (3.03% and 12.82%), Neospora caninum (0.00% and 9.52%), and Pestivirus (8.00% and 6.67%). Risk factors were detected for Leptospira spp., showing that fawn pudu have statistically significantly higher risk of positivity than adults. In the case of T. gondii, pudu living in “free-range” have a lower risk of being positive for this parasite. In under-human-care pudu, a Pestivirus outbreak is the most strongly suspected as the cause of abortions in a zoo in the past. This study presents the first evidence of Chlamydia abortus in wildlife in South America and exposure to T. gondii, L. interrogans, and N. caninum in wild ungulate species in Chile. High seroprevalence of livestock pathogens such as Pestivirus and Leptospira Hardjo in wild animals suggests a livestock transmission in Chilean template forest.

Having a list of alien plant species naturalised in an area and knowing their invasive potential (i.e. a post-border species risk assessment framework) and the precise locations where they are found, are now a priority as a management strategy to curb their spread, avoiding damage to ecosystems and saving management costs. This is especially important in arid ecosystems, which are particularly vulnerable to impacts due to their limited resources. Weed Risk Assessment systems (WRAs) analyse plant traits that influence their invasive potential through a set of questions whose answers score taxa according to their invasive potential. In this work, we identify potentially invasive plants inhabiting the arid southeast of the Iberian Peninsula, the driest region in Europe, by compiling alien plant species recorded in the wild and applying the Australian and New Zealand Weed Risk Assessment (AWRA) system. The AWRA applies scores that evaluate species characteristics related to biography, undesirable attributes and biology/ecology for establishment elsewhere. We provide the dataset obtained in the application of the AWRA test: a list of the alien plant species naturalised in the study area and their geographical distribution; the answers, scores and results of the test, as well as the scientific sources that support the existence of such characteristics in these species. We found that 64.4% of the 177 taxa assessed can be considered potential invaders. This database represents a useful and transparent tool for environmental managers to deal with the problem of plant invasions effectively. It can also be confronted with data from other areas of the world where these species are naturalised.

En la primavera de 2023 se celebró en Salobreña (Granada) un taller científico-técnico sobre los problemas de conservación de Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea (“arto”) y su hábitat ante el desarrollo de actividades socioeconómicas, y las posibles soluciones para la preservación de tan importante valor de biodiversidad del sur y este ibérico. Con una gran participación de técnicos, científicos, empresas, ONGs, entre otros, se trataron diversos aspectos en formato sesiones con discusiones abiertas, sobre el conocimiento científico actual, implicaciones legales-administrativas, o criterios y protocolos para soluciones y actuaciones de difusión. Finalmente se elaboraron unas conclusiones y se presentó la plataforma MAYTENUS.org, como punto de encuentro de profesionales y colectivos implicados en la problemática de conservación de M. senegalensis subsp. europaea. Dicha plataforma tiene como objetivo generar conocimiento y desarrollar estrategias de gestión territorial sostenible, acordes con la conservación del hábitat y la especie.

Anthropogenic environmental change is reducing available habitat for wild species, providing novel selection pressures such as infectious diseases and causing species to interact in new ways. The potential for emerging infectious diseases and zoonoses at the interface between humans, domestic animals, and wild species is a key global concern. In vertebrates, diversity at the major histocompatibility complex MHC is critical to disease resilience, and its study in wild populations provides insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics that human activities alter. In natural populations, variation at MHC loci is partly maintained by balancing selection, driven by pathogenic selective pressures. We hypothesize that MHC genetic diversity differs between guigna populations inhabiting human-dominated landscapes (higher pathogen pressures) versus more natural habitats (lower pathogen pressures). We predict that MHC diversity in guignas would be highest in human-dominated landscapes compared with continuous forest habitats. We also expected to find higher MHC diversity in guignas infected with micro and macro parasites (higher parasite load) versus non infected guignas. We characterized for the first time the genetic diversity at three MHC class I and II exons in 128 wild guignas (Leopardus guigna) across their distribution range in Chile (32-46° S) and Argentina, representing landscapes with varying levels of human disturbance. We integrated MHC sequence diversity with multiple measures of anthropogenic disturbance and both micro and macro parasite infection data. We also assessed signatures of positive selection acting on MHC genes. We found significantly higher MHC class I diversity in guignas inhabiting landscapes where houses were present, and with lower percentage of vegetation cover, and also in animals with more severe cardiorespiratory helminth infection (richness and intensity) and micro-macroparasite co-infection. This comprehensive, landscape-level assessment further enhances our knowledge on the evolutionary dynamics and adaptive potential of vertebrates in the face of emerging infectious disease threats and increasing anthropogenic impacts.

Providing historical data on riparian plant biodiversity and physico-chemical parameters of stream water in Mediterranean mountains helps to assess the effects of climate change and other human stressors on these sensitive and critical ecosystems. This database collects data from the main natural headwater streams of the Sierra Nevada (southeastern Spain), a high mountain (up to 3,479 meters above sea level, m.a.s.l.) recognized as a biodiversity super hotspot (Arroyo et al., 2022) in the Mediterranean Basin. On this mountain, rivers and landscapes depend on snowmelt water, representing an excellent scenario for evaluating global change's impacts. This dataset covers first- to third-order headwater streams at 41 sites from 832 to 1,997 m.a.s.l., collected from December 2006 to July 2007. Our goal is to supply information on the vegetation associated with streambanks, the essential physico-chemical parameters of stream water, and the physiographic features of the subwatersheds. Riparian vegetation data correspond to six plots sampled at each site, including total canopy, individual number, height and DBH (diameter at breast height) in woody species, and cover percentage for herbs. Physico-chemical parameters were measured in situ (electric conductivity, pH, dissolved O2 concentration, stream discharge) and determined in the laboratory [alkalinity, soluble reactive phosphate-phosphorus (SRP), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-–N), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4+–N), total nitrogen (TN)]. Watershed physiographic variables comprise drainage area, minimum altitude, maximum altitude, mean slope, orientation, stream order, stream length, and land cover surface percentage. We recorded 197 plant taxa (67 species, 28 subspecies and 2 hybrids), representing 8.4% of the Sierra Nevada vascular flora. Due to the botanical nomenclature used, the database can be linked to FloraSNevada database (Lorite et al., 2020), contributing to Sierra Nevada (Spain) as a laboratory of global processes. For more information about the data, see the metadata document (Metadata_HeadwaterstreamSNevada.docx).

Wildfires affect the structure, functioning, and composition of ecosystems. Long-term monitoring of the occurrence, abundance, and growth of plant species is key to assessing the responses of the dynamics of plant populations with regard to environmental disturbances, such as wildfires. In this work, we evaluated the changes in the number of individuals and the canopy cover extent of a population of Juniperus communis L. during a four-decade period following a wildfire in a Mediterranean high-mountain ecosystem (Sierra Nevada, Spain). To do this, we used object-based image analysis (OBIA) applied to very high-resolution aerial images. Our study also provides a new approach to optimize the shrub identification process and to semi-automatically evaluate the accuracy of the number of shrubs and their canopy cover. From the 752 individuals present in 1977, only 433 remained immediately after a fire (1984), a few more disappeared one decade later (420 shrubs in 1997), while by 2008, the population had partially recovered to 578 shrubs. The wildfire decreased juniper canopy cover from 55,000 m(2) to 40,000 m(2), but two decades later it had already recovered to 57,000 m(2). The largest shrubs were more resistant to fire than the smallest ones and recovered in a shorter time period. The protection measures introduced with the park declaration seemed to have contributed to the post-fire recovery. The potential of this methodology in the management and conservation of biodiversity in the future is also discussed.