Portal de Cartagena
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Researchers at the School of Agricultural Engineers of the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena (UPCT) will work this year on a project for the conservation of Cartagena de la Sierra, recently awarded by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment, Which is also co-financed by the Ministry of Water, Agriculture and Environment of the Region of Murcia.
The Cartagena jara (Cistus heterophyllus subsp. Carthaginensis) is a shrub up to 80-90 cm high, with a pink flower, which is among the most endangered species of flora in the Iberian Peninsula with less than 20 individuals in the wild .
It is a jara present only in the Spanish east, in the eastern section of the Sierra de Cartagena and in the Pobla de Vallbona (Valencia), included in the category "in danger of extinction" in the Spanish Catalog of Threatened Species.
In the Region of Murcia, since its discovery at the beginning of the 20th century, the species has been suffering a continuous decline in the number of specimens until nowadays in less than 20 individuals aged in a redoubt located in the Llano del Beal (in The Sierra Minera of Cartagena), of which a high number are of hybrid phenotype, result of the hybridization with the white jara (Cistus albidus), of abundant presence in the zone.
In the Valencian population only one specimen is found sterile.
"We aim to reduce the threat of extinction faced by the species in the Region of Murcia by developing an integrated strategy combining in situ and ex situ conservation techniques, along with other measures related to the dissemination and social awareness at the local level , Regional and national, "explains María José Vicente, responsible for the project.
Researchers from the Polytechnic will establish new population centers in Cartagena, both within the critical area of ​​the species and in the area of ​​potential reintroduction, which will increase to more than three hundred the number of breeding individuals, which will allow establishing a stable and self-sufficient population Of jara of Cartagena.
At the same time, a reference collection of jara of Cartagena will be created to conserve the genetic diversity of the species and to obtain reproduction material.
For long-term conservation, seeds will be collected from the natural population that will be stored in the Germplasm Bank of the Wild Flora Conservation Center of the Region of Murcia.
On the other hand, molecular genetic tools will be used to trace the hybridization events that have occurred in the natural habitat of the species between the jara of Cartagena and the white jara, which are giving rise to a process of natural speciation that is intended Also conserve.
Together with these own recovery and conservation measures, a series of dissemination activities will be developed to raise awareness of the species and raise awareness of the need for conservation.
To this end, among other activities, various scientific and informative materials will be published, aimed at the youngest, an active presence in social networks will be maintained and participatory activities will be programmed in the field of environmental volunteering within the on-site conservation works Of the species.
Source: UPCT
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