An innovative vegetation survey design in Mediterranean cliffs shows evidence of higher tolerance of specialized rock plants to rock climbing activity

Questions Is rock climbing pressure, together with microtopographic conditions, disturbing cliff plant cover and composition? What are the climbing impacts on rock specialist and non‐specialist species? Can a case‐control approach, not previously implemented in cliff environments, offer additional value for actual and long‐term ecological research? Location Chulilla, Levante coast, Spain. Methods We surveyed in situ nine rock climbing routes in...