Relevance of snow cover in the implementation of plant conservation and restoration and restoration plans in high mountain peaks: Are we ready to lose the snow in the Mediterranean mountains?

Abstract This study aims to analyse the effects that snow cover may have on the survival of one-year-old seedlings from 15 different taxa in high Mediterranean mountains (Sierra Nevada National ParK, SE Spain) in order to have a clear criteria for the planning and management of restoration efforts in these environments. Additionally, the influence of variables that have been scarcely explored up to now is also revised. Using the survival rates of the seedlings carried out in the ecological restoration trial as a reference value, the achieved success (survival) is analysed based on a series of variables to evaluate their effects. The results confirm that the permanence of snow is a favourable variable for plant survival, independently of the plant community. Contrastly, a specific substrate (stones and rocks) stands out for being clearly unfavourable, regardless of other variables. For altitude, a clear tendency to worsen the survival rate is observed as it increases. The species’ geographic ranges were all shown to be unfavourable for those taxa of boreo-alpine distribution. Solar radiation seems to be a more unfavourable variable as it increases. And finally, the plant community does not significantly impact results in any sense. These results provide novel indications to improve the results of restoration work in Mediterranean high mountains. It is also valuable for the management and cataloguing of threatened flora, as well as they have direct applications in Recovery Plans and Protection Lists.