Title
Central Iberian oro-Mediterranean scrub (Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Cytisus oromediterraneus) with Echinospartum ibericum or Echinospartum barnadesii on siliceous rocksa = Bejar-Gredense type with Echinospartum ibericum; b = eastern Gredense type with Echinospartum barnadesii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Sierra de Gredos (subsector Gredense, subsector Bejarano-Gredense occidental and sector Salmantino)
area frequency
5 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Cytiso oromediterranei-Echinospartetum pulviniformis Rivas-Martínez et al. 1987; b) Cytiso oromediterranei-Echinospartetum barnadesii Rivas-Martínez 1964 corr. Rivas-Martínez, Belmonte, Cantó, Fernández González, Fuente, Moreno, Sánchez Mata & Sancho 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense to relatively open scrub consisting of Cytisus oromediterraneus, Echinospartum ibericum as well as E. barnadesii and crawling juniper, herb layer mainly with highly acidophilous grasses as well as a number of hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
a) Cytisus oromediterraneus, Echinospartum ibericum, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Erica australis;
b) Echinospartum barnadesii, Santolina oblongifolia
Herb layer
a) Deschampsia flexuosa subsp. iberica, Arrhenatherum elatius, Festuca summilusitana, Festuca elegans, Luzula lactea, Reseda gredensis, Koeleria crassipes;
b) Jasione crispa subsp. sessiliflora, Arenaria querioidis, Jurinea humilis, Leucanthemopsis pallida
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Echinospartum ibericum, Echinospartum barnadesii, Cytisus oromediterraneus, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina
Ecological variants
A type with Erica arborea on persistently moist sites as well as areas with a long-lasting snow coverage.
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)
Debris fans: Santolinetum oblongifoliae, Valerianetum tripteridis, Digitali carpetanae-Senecionetum carpetanae (on slopes with small, mobile stones), Cryptogrammo crispae-Dryopteridetum oreadis (on large blocky slopes); rock crevice communities: Antirrhinetum gredensis (heliophilous); rock communities: Hieracio amplexicaulis-Saxifragetum orogredensis (at cool, shaded sites); pyrophytic community: Linarietum niveae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B49), Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G64, G67).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture grounds: Triseto ovati-Agrostietum truncatulae; Arenario querioidis-Festucetum summilusitanae (on dry rocky sites); meadows: Poo legionensis-Nardetum strictae (middle and upper oro-Mediterranean belt), Luzulo carpetanae-Juncetum squarrosi (lower oro-Mediterranean belt).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
high-mountain regions
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
oro-Mediterranean; 1600-2400 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-poor ranker and brown soils; (dystric leptosols; dystric cambisols)
soil texture
stony, sandy-loamy
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, moderately dry
soil reaction
very acidic to weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
4-8 °C
average annual precipitation
1000 to >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
humid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Fire, tourism, ski sports.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: western, central and eastern highlands of the Sierra de Gredos.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Amor Morales, Ladero Alvarez & Valle Gutierrez 1992; Ladero Alvarez, Díaz González, Penas Merino, Rivas-Martínez & Valle Gutierrez 1987; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Belmonte, Cantó, Fernández-González, Fuente de la, Moreno, Sánchez-Mata & Sancho 1987; Sánchez-Mata 1989
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
