Introduction Top

Cistus heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis M.B. Crespo & Mateo (Cartagena’s rockrose), within the family Cistaceae, is endemic to the Iberian Peninsula (Albert et al., 2011). It is listed as “Endangered” at the national level in the Spanish Catalogue of Threatened Species (Moreno, 2008). It was cited as frequent in the province of Murcia (Spain) by Jiménez Munuera (1903); however, it was later considered extinct for at least twenty years (Robledo et al., 1995), until a single specimen was discovered in 1986 in the municipality of La Pobla de Vallbona (Valencia, Spain) (Crespo & Mateo, 1988). This specimen died on February 2022 (Generalitat Valenciana, 2022). In 1993, a new population was found in Peña del Águila (Murcia, Spain) formed by nine individuals (Robledo et al., 1995). These individuals died in a wildfire in 1998, but successively new seedlings germinated and 26 new individuals developed into reproductive specimens. Finally, in 2022, a new population of 59 individuals was discovered on the island of Cabrera Gran (Balearic Islands) (Cardona & Capó, 2022).

In 2018, the subspecies was declared as “in critical situation” in Spain by the Spanish regulation (BOE, 2018), due to the existence of an “imminent risk of extinction”. Consequently, works and projects aimed at its recovery were declared of general interest.

Since the end of the 90s of the last century, numerous actions have been carried out for the conservation of this plant, mainly included in the Recovery Plan for the species in the Autonomous Community of Valencia (Generalitat Valenciana, 2015). In response to this plan, an analysis of suitability of optimal areas for the reintroduction of specimens was established. Thus, different introductions of Cistus heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis (all from seeds from the Valencian wild specimen) were carried out in several locations of Valencia (Ferrer-Gallego et al., 2019). The reproductive plant material was obtained through a plant production program conducted over several years (Ferrer-Gallego et al., 2017, 2018).

The main threats for this species are its low number of individuals and its low genetic variability. In this sense, hybridisation with the rock-rose Cistus albidus L. affects the genetic integrity of the Iberian populations (Ferrer-Gallego & Laguna, 2012). Likewise, forest fires and habitat destruction due to infrastructure and urban expansion can also affect the survival of the taxon (Generalitat Valenciana, 2015).

A new important threat to this plant species was detected on May 2021, when several weevils were observed, in the field, feeding on leaves, flowers, buds and stems of Cistus heterophyllus subsp. carthaginensis in three introduced populations of this species in Valencia (Spain) at La Manguilla (Pobla de Vallbona), Pla de Colom (Bétera) and Tancat Forestal de Porta-Coeli (Serra) (Generalitat Valenciana, 2015). However, weevils were not observed on the natural plant in La Pobla de Vallbona (Valencia, Spain), which was about 3 km from the nearest introduced population.

In this study, we provide preliminary field and laboratory observations on feeding habits and host preferences, as well as a description of the main taxonomic characteristics of this species, including male and female genitalia, which are described here for the first time.

Figure 1. Localization of study area in Southern Pyrenees, Spain.

Material and methods Top

We performed block counts (Berducou et al., 1986, Herrero et al., 2011) of the area where Pyrenean chamois was supposed to dwell once in April (before parturition), June (after parturition), September and November (rut) during 2022. Four operators walked in the area after sunrise following a planned route using binoculars, spotting scopes, mobile phones and cameras, for a period of around 4 h. When Pyrenean chamois individuals were sighted, animals were registered in a sheet. Double counts were avoided gathering together information at the end of each survey, considering sex, age, localization, and timing. Occasional sightings were also recorded.

Results and discussionTop

Table 1 shows the results of the survey (Fig. 2). There were sighted at least 18 chamois during the whole study period. Movements from the neighboring Sierra Ferrera could not be discarded. The subpopulational stock is very low compared to other Pyrenean subpopulation (Herrero et al., 2004), but the population structure is comparable to other forest populations (Garin & Herrero, 1997). Even habitat use and grouping are comparable to other forest dwelling populations of the species (Herrero et al., 1996, 2002). The occupied area is around 2 km2 and the density is 9 chamois km-2, moving in an altitudinal range of 600-650 m asl.

Figure 2. Above: adult female and kid in the loam. Below: group of chamois in the loam surrounded by Aleppo pine; from left to right: kid, yearling, adult female and adult female.

Even if this altitudinal and habitat pattern can be considered as an exception, Pyrenean chamois could inhabit forests with strong slopes below 700 m permanently. This would mean a significant increase in its distribution range surpassing the current consideration of the species as an exclusively high mountain dweller. In any case, steep slopes are a fundamental requirement for the reproduction of chamois since females need vertical areas to give birth and have their young protected from terrestrial predators when they cannot flee (Pérez-Barbería & Nores, 1994).

It has to be considered that global warming (Lovari et al., 2020), encroachment (García-Ruíz et al., 2021) and forest increase (Lasanta & Vicente-Serrano, 2007) are reducing chamois habitat and quality. The occupation of these low elevation areas can represent an alternative to their traditional habitat. This preliminary work is the first document that shows a Pyrenean chamois population living all year long for a long period under 1000 m of altitude. Additional work is needed for corroborating this potential trend and studying the variables involved in this process.