Pyrus bourgaeana, the Iberian pear, is a close relative of Pyrus communis L. The latter was domesticated about 2500 years ago. This monoecious small tree (typically 3–6 m high) is widely distributed across the southern Iberian Peninsula and northern Morocco, where it coexists with four Pyrus species: P. communis L., P. cordata Dew., P. spinosa Forssk, and P. nivalis Jacq. Characteristics to discriminate these species are the width of fruit peduncle, petal size, leaf width and petiole length served to the taxa. Pyrus bourgaeana flowers are white, rarely tinted pink, 2–3 cm diameter, and have five petals. Fruits are non-dehiscent globose pomes weighing ~ 9.5 g, with green or brown skin inconspicuous to birds, copious lenticels permitting scent to emanate, and pulp high in fiber. Each fruit usually contains 2-4 full seeds. Within the Iberian Peninsula, P. bourgaeana distribution is very fragmented with trees occurring at low densities in small patches of Mediterranean scrubland that are isolated from each other by towns, cultivations, etc. Within these patches, mature trees often are aggregated in small clusters of 8-10 individuals Iberian pears are remarkably resistant to sicknesses or blight; they are more often killed by storms or high winds than by sickness. Phenology and interactions with animals The Iberian pear flowers during February–March. It is pollinated by wide variety of insects such as bees, flies, and beetles. Each individual produces between 200-450 fruits that ripen and drop to the ground unaided from September to December. Predispersal seed losses by invertebrates (microlepidoptera larvae) are usually low. Its seeds most frequently are dispersed by mammals. Indeed, mammalian carnivores (badgers Meles meles, red foxes Vulpes vulpes, etc.) often ingest whole fruits fallen to the ground and disperse ingested seeds away from conspecifics with the capacity of germination. In some areas, however, these dispersers have declined to low densities by hunting and other human activities. Rabbits Oryctolagus cunniculus and some birds also feed on its fruit, eating part of the fruit pulp leaving the uneaten seeds under fruiting trees. Rodents often depredate the uncovered seeds in those fruits partially eaten by pulp feeders. Ungulates (red deer Cervus elaphus, wild boar Sus scrofa) generally ingest whole fallen fruits but grind ingested seeds and mostly act as seed predators. Rodents also can act as post-dispersal predators of P. bourgaeana seeds. Seeds germinate epigeally either shortly after dispersal, or even within fallen fruits, and do not appear to persist