Review of the reproductive ecology of the Mediterranean key species Pistacia lentiscus in the Anthropocene

Abstract

The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus L., Anacardiaceae) is one of the most abundant and characteristic shrubs in the Mediterranean basin. Its fruits, drupe type, are the main claim and food source of the wintering frugivores of this region establishing a very important plant-animal interaction, but the past and current change in land use and the little natural cover that remains in the region may endanger this interaction between animals and plant and the future of mastic tree populations. Although there are numerous studies on the reproductive biology of this plant it is necessary to frame this knowledge in a context of habitat fragmentation. Extreme anthropogenic pressure can physically isolate the fragments and restrict safe microhabitats within forests for seeds to grow. By increasing the isolation, not only is the pollen cloud available to female plants less diverse, but also the abundance of dispersers is lower modifying the final destination of the seeds. Population bottlenecks are frequent in the populations of adult plants, but the effect of genetic structuring is not as evident as in other Mediterranean shrub species. This paper reviews existing knowledge on reproductive biology of P. lentiscus in the current context of global change and human impact on the landscape, in order to predict possible future scenarios and ensure the viability of this species. © 2020 Los Autores. Editado por la AEET. [Ecosistemas no se hace responsable del uso indebido de material sujeto a derecho de autor]