Title
North Lusitanian oro-Mediterranean scrub (Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Cytisus oromediterraneus) with Teucrium salviastrum, Echinospartum ibericum on siliceous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Portugal: western high altitudes of the Serra da Estrêla (sector of Estrêla)
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Lycopodio clavati-Juniperetum nanae Braun-Blanquet, P. Silva & Rozeira ex Rivas-Martínez 1970.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Creeping juniper and broom form the stands. The herb layer is formed mostly from perennial gramineous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Cytisus oromediterraneus, Erica arborea
Herb layer
Arrhenatherum elatius, Calluna vulgaris, Deschampsia flexuosa subsp. iberica, Festuca indigesta, Festuca henriquesii, Rumex acetosella subsp. angiocarpus, Jasione crispa subsp. centralis, Phalacrocarpum oppositifolium, Scilla beirana
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Cytisus oromediterraneus; Deschampsia flexuosa subsp. iberica
Ecological variants
Juncetosum squarrosi: with Juncus squarrosus on slightly inclined sites with winter waterlogging.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Xerophytic vegetation of mountain ridges and prominences: Teucrio salviastri-Echinospartetum pulviniformis; Jasiono centralis-Minuartietum bigerrensis (psychroxerophilic community on shallow soils).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G65).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture lands: Campanulo herminii-Festucetum henriquesii on shallow dry soils; matgrass communities: Galio saxatile-Nardetum strictae on deep fresh soils.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountain slopes at the highest locations of mountain ranges
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
oro-Mediterranean (subalpine); 1700-2000 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
very permeable, stone-rich, deep humic soils with subalpine humus; (dystric lithic and umbric leptosols; dystric and humic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, moderately dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
4-8 °C
average annual precipitation
>1600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
10-12 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to -1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Currently in a good state and not endangered locally.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Grassland vegetation, Teucrio salviastri-Echinospartetum pulviniformis; Festuca henriquesii, Jasione crispa subsp. centralis, Teucrium salviastrum.
causes of endangerment
Tourism, pasturing, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Portugal: Parque Natural da Serra da Estrêla.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1981; Rivas-Martínez, Belmonte, Cantó, Fernández-González, Fuente de la, Moreno, Sánchez-Mata & Sancho 1987
Compiled by
C. Pinto Gomez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
