Conservation efforts of Genista legionensis in Bizkaia (1989-2023)

Abstract

Genista legionensis (Pau) M. Laínz, an endemic species of the Cantabrian Mountain range, faces significant conservation challenges in its only population in the Basque Autonomous Community. Located in Punta Lucero (Bizkaia) and discovered in 1989, the construction of a track in 1999 severely damaged this population, which led to the translocation of two specimens to the Iturraran Botanical Garden. In order to ensure the survival of Punta Lucero’s population, annual monitoring has been carried out since 2007 by the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. Subsequently, several ex situ conservation, cultivation (ex situ and in situ), and in situ reinforcement programs have been developed by different teams. In December 2022, a fire devastated the original population, although some specimens are now sprouting again. Given the critical state of the population, the aim of this work is to synthesize the results obtained, which have not been very favorable. Thanks to the availability of germplasm (seeds and vegetative material), this work also aims to establish which research area is maintained and which new studies should be carried out in order to improve the current situation of the species.