Title
South Italian-Sicilian meso-Mediterranean holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Teucrium siculum, Festuca drymeja
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Italy: Campania, Calabria, Sicily
area frequency
11 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Querco-Teucrietum siculi Gentile 1969, Doronico-Quercetum ilicis Barbagallo, Brullo & Fagotto 1979, Rhamno alaterni-Quercetum ilicis Brullo & Marcenò 1985.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered species-poor holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Viburnum tinus, Rhamnus alaternus, Teucrium flavum etc. in the shrub layer and many Quercetea ilicis elements in the herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex, partly Quercus suber (Sicily, Nordhänge)
Shrub layer
Viburnum tinus, Rhamnus alaternus, Teucrium flavum, Phillyrea angustifolia, Arbutus unedo among others
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Rosa sempervirens
Herb layer
Teucrium siculum, Festuca drymeja, Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii, Carex distachya, Cyclamen repandum, Asplenium onopteris, Doronicum orientale (local)
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex; Rhamnus alaternus, Teucrium siculum
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)
Thero-Brachypodietea and Tuberarietea guttatae communities.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F148), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), Balkan oak forests (G26), downy oak forests (G53), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests and scrubs (J17, J19, J48), alluvial and moist forests as well as scrubs (U18, U34, U37).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus pinea, Pinus halepensis forestry; eucalyptus forestry; macchia (Cistetea, Rosmarinetea).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Thero-Brachypodietea.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Olive tree and viniculture, wheat.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Brometalia rubenti-tectori, Sisymbrietalia and Carthametalia-lanati communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
coasts, inland with a highly layered relief
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to submontane (up to 900 m); meso-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
flysch (Tertiary); limestone (Cretaceous); silicate rocks (Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
regosol, vertisols, acidic and Mediterranean brown soils, Mediterranean red soils (Mancini 1966); (stony chromic and lithic calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols; eutric regosols; lithic vitric andosols)
soil texture
sandy, loamy, stone-rich, partly rocky
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to very dry
soil reaction
acidic to alkaline
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3a, IV3b
average annual temperature
15-18 °C
average annual precipitation
600-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 24-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 8-10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
droughts in summer, winter rich in precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Holm oak forests are very rare, otherwise Pinus pinea etc. forestry.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Remnants of nearly-natural holm oak forests are very worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Agriculture and forestry, fires, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of remnants, enabling of natural regeneration in selected areas.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Sicily: northern slope of the Madonie.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Brullo & Marcenò 1985; Brullo, Cirino & Longhitano 1995; Gentile 1969a; Gentile 1969b
Compiled by
F. Pedrotti, Z. Neuhäuslová and E. Poli
