Title
Baetic supra-Mediterranean basiphilous Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Spain: Andalusia (Baetic Cordilleras)
area frequency
19 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Berberido hispanicae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests with Acer granatense and Quercus faginea, thornwood shrubs and a rich herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Acer granatense, Sorbus aria, Quercus faginea
Shrub layer
Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Ruscus aculeatus, Daphne gnidium, Crataegus monogyna, Juniperus oxycedrus, Genista cinerea, Rosa canina, Prunus ramburii, Amelanchier ovalis
Lianas
Rubia peregrina, Lonicera etrusca
Herb layer
Helleborus foetidus, Ruscus aculeatus, Paeonia broteroi, Piptatherum paradoxum, Salvia lavandulifolia subsp. vellerea, Silene nutans, Festuca hystrix, Stipa bromoides
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia; Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Juniperus oxycedrus, Daphne gnidium, Prunus ramburii, Coclayeaster granatensis, Cytisus scoparius subsp. reverchonii; Rubia peregrina, Lonicera splendida; Festuca scariosa
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)
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Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
pine forests (C30), Quercus pyrenaica forests (G69), Quercus faginea forests (G74), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J4, J3, J9, J7, J31).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; dense scrub: Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Cytisus scoparius subsp. reverchonii, Amelanchier ovalis, Lonicera arborea; degraded scrub: Dianthus subacaulis subsp. brachyanthus, Salvia lavandulifolia subsp. vellerea, Erinacea anthyllis, Arenaria armerina; thyme stands of the Andryalion agardhii; Lavandulo- Echinospartion boissieri; Xeracantho-Erinación. Thornwood: Lonicero splendidae-Berberidetum hispanicae; broom scrub: Genisto speciosae-Cytisetum reverchoni. Chamaephyte communities: Santolino canescentis-Salvietum oxyodantis, Saturejo intricatae-Genistetum boissieri (on rocky, dry substrates).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures: Festuca scariosa, Festuca hystrix, Brachypodium retusum; perennial pastures: Helictotricho filifolii-Festucetum scariosi, Avenulo bromoidis-Helictotrichetum cazorlensis (in the region of Cazorla); therophyte-rich pastures: Saxifrago tridactylites-Hornungietum petraeae. Nitrophilous communities: Artemisio glutinosae-Santolinetum canescentis, Medicago rigidulae-Aegilopietum geniculatae.
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
mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean; 1400-1900 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, dolomite (Jura, Cretaceous )
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich luvisole and cambisol (Gomez Mercado & Valle 1988); (stony dystric and stony calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
500-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
18-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
dry 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
Forestry.
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)
Gómez Mercado & Valle Tendero 1988; Gómez Mercado & Valle Tendero 1991; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
