Small rocky outcrops: Natural features to promote biodiversity in oak wood‐pastures

Aims The Iberian oak wood-pastures are unique agroforestry systems supporting high levels of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Small rocky outcrops geological features commonly found in these constitute reservoirs, protecting sensitive species from grazing farming activities. We aimed to assess the relevance including outcrop conservation within increase biodiversity. To achieve this goal, we study plant communities occurring wood-pasture matrix evaluate impact on overall taxonomic functional diversities systems. Location Montemor-o-Novo (Alentejo, Portugal). Methods sampled 102 adjacent analysed alpha, beta, gamma diversities. identified main intrinsic factors affecting composition their groups using Linear (LM) Generalised Mixed Models (GLMMs) characterised effect size throughout Additive (GAMs). Results richness be similar outcrops. However, beta diversity analysis revealed a turnover between both communities. Functional indices indicated higher trait analyses three dissimilarly distributed communities: i) perturbation stress-sensitive plants, with constituting an important refuge for group, ii) grazing-tolerant iii) weedy herbs dominating wood-pastures. Finally, also increased length minor axis, i.e. wider outcrops, rock cover area. Conclusions Our results indicate that presence small evergreen highly Consequently, protection strongly impacts underline suitability as cost-effective solution capable increasing