The sweet chesnut (Castanea sativativa Miller) forest of Montánchez (Cáceres, SW Spain). An announcement dessaparition by climatic causes?

PATÓN, D., VENEGAS, F., CUENCA, J., GALAVIS, M., ROIG, F.A.

Carmona, Sevilla

Workshop; First MedCLIVAR Workshop on Reconstruction of Past Mediterranean Climate; 2006

European Science Fundation and others

Comparing dendrochronological data from different areas of Southwestern Spain we predict that Sweet Chesnut (Castanea sativa Miller) forest of Montánchez could disappear in a few decades specially by climatic causes. Radial growth is almost 6 times lower that in forest areas with good forest regeneration. From an ecological point of view, the importance of this forest is specially relevant due to its isolation to similar areas. In fact we can consider to Sweet Chesnut forest of Montánchez as a island relictic forest with a very testimonial value of past climate history of the area. In this sense, recent research with this species in Hervás (Cáceres) show a clear correlation of radial growth with NAO and an acute decrease in recent years.