Urban Natural Spaces as Laboratories for Learning and Social Awareness

Abstract

Mediterranean areas contain a great diversity of flora and phytocenosis, due to the different substrates and the special Mediterranean climate, and it is in the Iberian Peninsula where the greatest diversity is concentrated. The need for didactic techniques that generate awareness and good learning results is considered of great relevance in order to obtain well-trained environmental managers. We proceed to the research on different phytosociological groups. The one with the largest number of associations or plant communities is the one located in nitrified environments near urban areas; the group of communities dominated by Poa bulbosa is of great interest for sheep farming, while, for equine and bovine farming, the communities rich in grasses and legumes that are located in rural environments rich in organic matter are of interest. The latter communities are also interesting because they act as a sink for CO2. Due to the serious alterations in Mediterranean grasslands, we propose cultural, socio-educational, and socio-economic strategies to increase family income, thus avoiding the south–north migratory flow, as well as combining exploitation and conservation, and promoting sustainable development.