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Background and aims: A detailed and updated vegetation map is necessary to land use planning. Given the need for a land-use plan for the Córdoba mountains, we decided to: make a vegetation map of these mountains; describe the vegetation of the mapped classes; interpret their distribution along the elevation gradient, and discuss the implications for land use planning. M&M: We elaborated a preliminary map from satellite images and field information, where we discriminated 14 vegetation units. Then, after a field control, we performed the final map, grouping the vegetation units into seven classes. Results: In the final map we identified: native forests, exotic forests, native scrublands, grasslands, lawns, grasslands with rock and/or bare soil and rocky areas. These classes were discriminated with an overall 82.6% precision. In addition, we separated water bodies, flood areas, crops and urban areas. The scrublands were the most widespread class, covering 37% of the landscape, followed by crops, covering 23% of the territory. Native forests only occupied 5.5% of the area. Scrublands and forests decreased along the elevation gradient, while grasslands and rocky areas increased. Conclusions: We suggest that land use planning should promote the restoration of native forests to occupy 20-40% of the landscape, the control of the advance of urban areas and crops, and the management of invasive alien species to limit their expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Mountains hold a large portion of global biodiversity and provide important benefits to humans. With the aim of providing a key tool for the sustainable management of Córdoba mountain ecosystems, we present an exhaustive list of vascular plants and their altitudinal ranges. M&M: We compiled 669 complete floristic surveys and 1178 partial surveys performed from 2005 to 2020. Results: We record 1069 plant species: 147 non-native, 143 endemic to Argentina, 25 endemic to Córdoba and San Luis and 19 endemic to Córdoba. Most species had their median elevation below 1000 masl. Species turnover up to 1250 masl is slow, but from this elevation onwards it begins to accelerate, and continues in a similar way up to the highest end of the gradient. Out of all recorded species, 46 % are recognized as medicinal, of which, 79 are non-natives, 36 are endemic to Argentina, two are endemic to Córdoba and San Luis and two are exclusive of Córdoba. Conclusions: The list includes 60% of the species cited for Córdoba province and 65.5% of the medicinal flora recorded for this province. The upper end of the mountains, which represents less than 10% of the area, concentrates the highest proportion and diversity of endemic species in central Argentina. Our results show the importance of these mountains for the conservation and sustainable management of Córdoba biodiversity, and represent a baseline for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]