Sea straits and biogeography: the role of the Strait of Gibraltar in shaping European-African heathland plant biodiversity

The Strait of Gibraltar is a unique hotspot of plant biodiversity within the Mediterranean basin, considered as both a glacial refugium and a relatively permeable biogeographical barrier for plant biodiversity, due to its geological, edaphic and climatic singularities.

At both sides of this strait, two heathland habitats of high conservation value and shared edaphic features (acid, infertile and sandy soils) deserve attention: Mediterranean dry heat (herriza) and temperate Atlantic wet heath, whose floras present a peculiar population genetic structure pointing to eco-evolutionary processes such as successful colonisations across the Strait of Gibraltar and isolation by ecogeographic barriers as main drivers in shaping heathland plant biodiversity.

Nevertheless, the knowledge about this is still limited.

In the present project, a multidisciplinary approach integrating genomics, phylogeography, phylogenomics, demographic inference and community ecology is proposed to contribute to a proper understanding of the role of the Strait of Gibraltar as biogeographical bridge/barrier for both heathland habitats, although particularly relevant for the forgotten but threatened wet heath flora.

Likewise, the proposed project will enable to detect key biodiversity areas (probable glacial refugia) and the potential response of heathland plant biodiversity to climate change, essential information for its effective management and conservation.