Title
Lusitanian-Extremadurian meso-Mediterranean Quercus pyrenaica-forests with Arbutus unedo
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
East Portugal: Sierra da Malcata, Sierra de São Mamede; Spain: Extremadura (Sierra de Gata, Sierra de Gredos, Sierra de Guadalupe)
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Arbuto unedonis-Quercetum pyrenaicae (Rivas Goday 1960) Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense, three-layered, average height Quercus pyrenaica forests, admixtures of Quercus faginea and their hybrids as well as Quercus suber and Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia. Shrub layer with evergreen species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pyrenaica, admixed Quercus faginea, Quercus suber, Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia
Shrub layer
Arbutus unedo, Viburnum tinus, Daphne gnidium, Phillyrea latifolia
Lianas
Tamus communis, Rubia peregrina, Asparagus acutifolius
Herb layer
Aquilegia vulgaris subsp. dichroa, Bupleurum falcatum, Teucrium scorodonia, Polygala microphylla, Helictotrichon sulcatum, Linaria triornithophora, Origanum vulgare subsp. virens
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pyrenaica; Arbutus unedo, Viburnum tinus; Teucrium scorodonia, Asparagus acutifolius
Ecological variants
a) quercetosum suberis: on fresh soils with Quercus suber; b) blechnetosum spicantis: in locations hidden from the sun and on fresh soils transforming into alder forests with Blechnum spicant.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Alluvial forests, e.g. Ficario ranunculoidis-Fraxinetum angustifoliae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous pedunculate oak forests (F14), Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G64, G65, G67, G68), Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests (J1), cork oak forests (J25), lowland and alluvial forests (U30).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus pinaster and Pinus pinea forestry; strawberry bush scrub: Phyllireo angustifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis with Arbutus unedo, Viburnum tinus, Erica arborea, Rubus ulmifolius; broom scrub: Thymo mastichinae-Cytisetum multiflori. Cistaceae scrub: Halimio ocymoidis-Cistetum populifolii, Polygalo microphyllae-Cistetum populifolii, Erico australis-Cistetum populifolii (drier sites).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Heaths: Halimio ocymoidis-Ericetum umbellatae with Erica umbellata, Halimium ocymoides, Polygala microphylla, Cistus psilosepalus; perennial pastures: Gaudinio fragilis-Agrostietum castellani, Trifolio subterranei-Poetum bulbosae; therophyte pastures: Pulicario paludosae-Agrostietum pourretii, Paronychio cimosae-Pterocephaletum diadeii; feather grass steppes: Melico magnolii-Stipetum gigantae; herbaceous forest edge communities: Vincetoxico nigri-Origanetum virentis.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Fruit and cereal cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-Mediterranean; 500-900 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rocks (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
Climax stage soils are deep silicate-brown soils and parabrown soils with mull humus. Underneath degraded Erica-heaths and Cistus-stands the soil turns acidic with a tendency to podzolidization; (lithic dystric cambisols; orthic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy-sandy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh
soil reaction
moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4, IV(VI)
average annual temperature
13-17 °C
average annual precipitation
1000-1600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
21-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
4-7 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
humid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Small thinned or grazed forests remain preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Afforestation with pines.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the remaining semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Portugal: Serra de São Mamede and Serra da Malcata; Spain: Sierra de la Peña de Francia, Valle del Tiétar, Comarca de la Vera.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Cano Carmona & Valle Tendero 1990; Navarro Andres, Sánchez Anta, Gonzáles Zapatero, Gallego Martin, Elena Rosello & Valle Gutierrez 1987; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Sánchez-Mata 1989
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; C. Pinto Gomez; V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez
