The genus Agave L. is a key component of Mediterranean alien flora, yet its inland distribution in the Iberian Peninsula remains poorly understood. This research integrates exhaustive field surveys with Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to characterize the genus diversity and, specifically, the spatial patterns and environmental niche of Agave americana in the southern Iberian Peninsula (Andalusia). Our results reveal a diversity of 23 taxa, yet crucially, the widespread occurrence of A. americana demonstrated that its actual inland distribution is significantly more extensive than previously recorded. Spatial Point Pattern Analysis (SPPA) revealed a strong aggregated distribution pattern (Clark & Evans R = 0.277; p < 0.001). The MaxEnt Spatial Distribution Model demonstrated robust predictive performance (Mean AUC = 0.770 ± 0.007; Mean TSS = 0.420 ± 0.009). The distribution was primarily driven by elevation range (26.9%) and land use (23.1%), with maximum suitability peaking in anthropized, low-to-intermediate elevation areas. Projections to the broader Andalusian region confirmed high suitability in the Guadalquivir valley and coastal zones, validated by low spatial uncertainty (SD < 0.05 in optimal areas). These findings provide new insights into the biogeography of Agave in the region, emphasizing the significance of anthropogenic drivers within a cultural landscape context.

En este trabajo se muestra a los agaves (género Agave L.) como elementos del paisaje andaluz y giennense. La utilización de la fotografía como metodología interpretativa del estudio del paisaje ha permitido corroborar su asidua presencia en el territorio – apareciendo en las cuatro tipologías de paisaje cultural establecidas por el Plan Nacional de Paisaje Cultural – lo que indicaría una elevada influencia en el imaginario popular y por tanto su pertenencia al acervo cultural giennense. El futuro de este paisaje cultural está actualmente en peligro a consecuencia de las actuaciones que se llevan a cabo en el presente y a la aparición del picudo negro del agave. La conservación de este patrimonio cultural debería establecerse acorde con las tendencias más actuales en la gestión del paisaje, considerando a éste desde una perspectiva integral favoreciendo la creación de una nueva cultura del territorio en la que un paisaje no sea solamente percepción, sino también sentimientos. Para apoyar esta visión se ha establecido un portal de ciencia ciudadana que pretende crear conciencia, en la sociedad y en la administración pública, para potenciar la conservación de este rico patrimonio cultural.

Understanding how vegetation is perceived, named and valued requires attention to the social positions from which these perceptions are produced. This article analyses vegetation perception from different social positions based on qualitative research conducted in the province of Jaén (Andalusia, Spain), a Mediterranean landscape characterized by high plant diversity and the predominance of olive cultivation. Drawing on discussion groups with the general population and in‐depth interviews with experts, the study applies sociological discourse analysis to identify patterns of vegetation perception and recognition. The results show that experts and the general population share references to a limited set of socially prominent species, but differ markedly in how vegetation is classified, prioritized and interpreted. Expert discourses rely on technical and ecological classifications, whereas those of the general population are shaped by everyday experience, social uses, memory and sensory recognition. These differences vary systematically according to social position, life trajectories and forms of practical engagement with the plant environment. The study highlights the existence of multiple forms of plant recognition and underscores the contribution of sociological approaches to understanding biodiversity perception and informing more socially attuned environmental management strategies.