Title
Pyrenean altimontane fir forests (Abies alba) with Saxifraga umbrosa, Goodyera repens, Vaccinium myrtillus, Galium rotundifolium on siliceous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain and France: Pyrenees
area frequency
8 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Goodyero repentis-Abietetum albae (O. Bolòs 1957) Rivas-Martínez 1968 (= Galio rotundifoli-Abietetum albae O. Bolòs 1957; Polysticho spinulosi-Abietetum albae Négre 1973 thuidietosum Négre 1973)
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Closed spruce forests, scattered Fagus sylvatica and Sorbus aucuparia, with numerous acidophilous shrubs and herbaceous plants.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies alba, admixed Fagus sylvatica, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
Ilex aquifolium, Sambucus racemosa, Lonicera nigra
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris, Galium rotundifolium, Goodyera repens, Saxifraga umbrosa, Veronica officinalis, Luzula pilosa, Prenanthes purpurea, Oxalis acetosella, Mycelis muralis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Abies alba; Goodyera repens, Galium rotundifolium, Luzula pilosa, Saxifraga umbrosa
Ecological variants
abietetosum albae: markedly acidophilous and ombrophilous; luzuletosum niveae: nutrient-richer sites with Luzula nivea; festucetosum heterophyllae: on dry sites with Festuca heterophylla; teucrietosum scorodoniae: in the western Pyrenees as a markedly ombrophilous formation type with Teucrium scorodonia, Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre.
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)
Pyrenean altimontane herb-rich fir forests (Festuco altissimae-Abietetum albae Rivas-Martínez 1968) with Lonicera alpigena, Cardamine heptaphylla, Euphorbia hyberna, Galium odoratum on base-rich, deep soil sites.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Pinus uncinata forests (C23, C24), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F138), pine forests (K4, K5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
coniferous plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
No details
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
internal, high-lying valleys of the Pyrenees; particularly in the upper part of the montane belt at northern exposures
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane; 1200-1600 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rocks (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, partly podzolic brown soils; (dystric and humic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, locally moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
6-12 °C
average annual precipitation
900 to >1400 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-18 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
humid.
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
Forestry, livestock rearing, tourism.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bolòs de 1957; Folch I Guillèn 1981; Nègre 1973; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1968; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991b
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez, completed by A. Penas Merino and C. Herrero Cembranos
