Life Sciences Commons^™

Naturalization Of Almond Trees (Prunus Dulcis) In Semi-Arid Regions Of The Western Mediterranean., Pablo Homet-Gutierrez, Eugene W. Schupp, José M. Gómez

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Agricultural land abandonment is rampant in present day Europe. A major consequence of this phenomenon is the re-colonization of these areas by the original vegetation. However, some agricultural, exotic species are able to naturalize and colonize these abandoned lands. In this study we explore the ability of almonds (Prunus dulcis D.A. Webb.) to establish in abandoned croplands in semi-arid areas of SE Iberian Peninsula. Domesticated during the early Holocene in SW Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, the almond has spread as a crop all over the world. We established three plots adjacent to almond orchards on land that was abandoned …