Title
North Iberian supra-Mediterranean Quercus pyrenaica-forests with Festuca heterophylla
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: province Leon, in the region of Soria (sector Ibérico-Soriano) and Ayllon (Guadarrámico sector); Sierra de Moncayo (especially in the eastern part)
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Festuco braun-blanquetii-Quercetum pyrenaicae Braun-Blanquet 1967 corr.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Shady, dense, three-layered Quercus pyrenaica forests of average height with numerous acidophytic shrub and herb species. The shrub layer occasionally with Genista florida, Erica arborea. The herb layer with much Festuca heterophylla, Pteridium aquilinum.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pyrenaica, partly with admixture of Acer campestre, Acer monspessulanum, Fraxinus angustifolia subsp. angustifolia
Shrub layer
Genista florida, Adenocarpus complicatus, Crataegus monogyna, Erica arborea, (Prunus spinosa, Corylus avellana, Frangula alnus)
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum, Hedera helix
Herb layer
Festuca heterophylla, Pteridium aquilinum, Holcus mollis, Melica uniflora, Teucrium scorodonia, Poa nemoralis, Pulmonaria longifolia, Serratula tinctoria, Deschampsia flexuosa, Hypericum pulchrum, Lathyrus linifolius, Luzula forsteri, Melampyrum pratense, Veronica officinalis, Hepatica nobilis, Brachypodium sylvaticum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pyrenaica; Festuca heterophylla, Pulmonaria longifolia
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F24), species-poor beech forests (F99), Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G64), Quercus faginea-forests (G71, G73), Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests (J4, J6, J9), open Juniperus thurifera woodlands (K28), lowland and alluvial forests (U29).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pioneer forests with Populus tremula; Pinus sylvestris forestry; particularly broom scrub of the Genistion floridae with Cytisus scoparius, Erica arborea, Adenocarpus complicatus, Pteridium aquilinum (Cytiso scopari-Genistetum polygaliphyllae) as substitute communities; the next degradation stage is Erica scrub (Genisto pilosae-Ericetum aragonensis; Genisto anglicae-Ericetum vagantis; Genistello tridentatae-Ericetum aragonensis) and Cistus scrub (Cistion laurifolii) on varyingly podzolised soils with Erica australis, Genista pilosa, Genista tridentata, Halimium ocymoides.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Heaths: Ericetum scopario-vagantis, Arctostaphylo crassifoliae-Daboecietum cantabricae in Castille and Cantabria; Pastures: Festuco amplae-Cyneosuretum cristati, pasture land with Helictotrichon sulcatum, Agrostis capillaris, Aira praecox; short-grass meadows: Genisto anglicae-Nardetum strictae around Leon; Luzulo carpetanae-Nardetum strictae with an Iberian-Sorianian distribution. Meadows: Malvo moschatae-Arrhenatheretum bulbosi.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereals (rye, barley).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Urtico-Sambucetum ebuli.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
usually shady northern slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean; 900-1300 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (Tertiary), fluviatile sediments (Pleistocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-deficient brown soils; (dystric cambisols)
soil texture
sandy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh
soil reaction
moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV6, IV(VI), IV7
average annual temperature
8-12 °C
average annual precipitation
500 to > 600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
19-21 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
2 to 4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
humid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Stands usually of a younger age.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forestry: coniferous tree plantation.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of older forest sites.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Valle de Iregua, Valle de Najerilla (Rioja).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Díaz González & Penas Merino 1984; García-Mijangos 1994; Loidi Arregui, Biurrun Galarraga & Herrera Gallastegui 1997; Loidi Arregui, Díaz González & Herrera Gallastegui 1997; Navarro Sánchez 1986; Navarro Sánchez 1989; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Penas Merino, García González & Herrero Cembranos 1995; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; J. Loidi; V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez
