Trade-Offs Between Cherry Production and Endemism Conservation in Serra da Gardunha, Portugal

Abstract

Cherry production in the northern slope of Serra da Gardunha (Beira Interior, Portugal) is increasing, creating a threat to the endemism Asphodelus bento- rainhae. The aim of this study is to find out the trade- off between cherry yield and the percentage of A. bento-rainhae covered area for a given plot of land. For this end, we collected data in cherry orchards from the Fundão municipality. The data was modelled with cluster analysis, multiple linear regression and artificial neural networks analyses to identify the management and environmental variables that influence both cherry yields and the presence of A. bento-rainhae. The method for spontaneous vegetation removal on the slopes between terraces stood out from the remaining variables, and it was associated with an increase in the A. bento-rainhae covered  area,  accompanied by a slight decrease in cherry yields. The remaining management and environmental variables did not show common significant effects on cherry  yields and A. bento-rainhae distribution. The overall results suggest that it is possible to increase cherry yields without decreasing the endemism distribution as long as slope management is carried without herbicides.