Evolució de la vegetació de l'antic estany de Sils (la Selva) en els darrers 50 anys

The historical evolution of vegetation in the former
Sils Pond (la Selva) during the second half of the
20th century is described through the study of past
(Bolòs, 1954; Vilar, 1981) and present-day
(Mercadal, 2002) vegetation cartography, the first
aerial photographs (1956 and 1980) and current
orthophotos (2000). This inland pool was finally
drained in 1851 and most of its area was converted
into meadows (Gaudinio fragilis-Arrhenatheretum
elatioris Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Roussine & Nègre 1952),
a semi cultural community which was very distinct
florally, for the Mediterranean region. The results
demonstrate that in the last 50 years changes in land
use have transformed the former landscape, which
was prominently meadow-like and grain-producing,
into woodlands, wet grasslands, developed areas and
sub-Mediterranean forests, with the consequent loss
of meadow areas and floristic diversity. In response,
based on historical cartography, we propose spaces
to prioritize for recovery and management such as
meadow areas.