Title
Cantabrian colline relict holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Laurus nobilis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Cantabria, Basque country; Asturia (region around Oviedo)
area frequency
6 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Lauro nobilis-Quercetum ilicis (Braun-Blanquet 1967) Rivas-Martínez 1975 (= Quercetum ilicis Allorge 1941; Xeroquercetum cantabricae Braun-Blanquet 1967).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The colline Cantabrian-Euskaldian relict Quercus ilex forests are quite dense forests of moderate size in their climax stage. A luxuriant shrub and herb (and liana) layer in the undergrowth.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis
Shrub layer
Rhamnus alaternus, Rosa sempervirens, Arbutus unedo, Phillyrea latifolia, Ligustrum vulgare, Rubus ulmifolius, Cornus sanguinea, rarely Pistacia lentiscus, Pistacia terebinthus
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Hedera helix, Rubia peregrina
Herb layer
Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Ruscus aculeatus, Euphorbia characias, rarely Seseli cantabricum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis; Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre
Ecological variants
two types:- the littoral facies with Osyris alba (It> 310)- the continental-submontane facies with Juniperus oxycedrus and Asparagus acutifolius.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
quercetosum ilicis: at coastal locations; viburnetosum lantanae: central and continental (Quercus ilex, Viburnum lantana, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria); pistacietosum lentisci: thermocolline belt of the coast (Pistacia lentiscus, Osyris alba, Dorycnium pentaphyllum subsp. pentaphyllum); variant with Olea europaea subsp. oleaster: near cliff coasts with Anthyllis vulneraria subsp. iberica, Daucus carota subsp. gummifer, Asparagus officinalis subsp. prostratus.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
These relict Quercus ilex forests are always in contact with mixed ash forests at moist sites.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed oak-ash forests (F33).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; with the onset of holm oak forest thinning broom scrub appears on quite deep soils (Ulici europaei-Cytisetum commutati in the Santander-Basque province), Ulici europaei-Cytisetum striati (Oviedo province), Ulici europaei-Genistetum occidentalis (Oviedo province), Helictotricho cantabrici-Genistetum occidentalis (Santander-Basque, Cantabrian meridional). An ongoing degradation promotes heath scrub and basiphilous pasture communities. Strawberry tree scrub: Phillyreo latifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis (Cantabrian-Euskaldian); thornwood: Rubo ulmifolii-Tametum communis (Oviedo).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture land: Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Seseli cantabricum, Aphyllanthes monspeliensis; Seseli cantabrici-Brachypodietum rupestri (Oviedo); Aveno-Seslerietum hispanicae (Cantabrian-Euskaldian).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hill country, steep slopes, crests, ravines
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline; locally thermo-colline
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous); also eruptive rocks and basalts
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
terra fusca (brown soils) (arcillas descarbonatadas), more or less browned humus carbonate soil, luvisols and andosols; (humic and (stony) calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(VI)
average annual temperature
>12 °C
average annual precipitation
900 to >1400 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
18-20 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
9 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
humid-hyperhumid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Young forests of 40-50 years; not greatly endangered.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
some stands with Pistacia lentiscus, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster.
causes of endangerment
Forestry, grazing (livestock breeding).
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and promotion of semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: mount Arno, Urdaibai (Basque country), Santoña (Cantabria).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Braun-Blanquet 1967b; Bueno Sánchez & Fernández Prieto 1991; Díaz González & Fernández Prieto 1987; Díaz González & Fernández Prieto 1994a; Díaz González & Fernández Prieto 1994b; Herrera Gallastegui 1995; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1975; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991a; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991b
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martinez; J. Loidi; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
