Title
Galician-north Lusitanian colline relict cork oak forests (Quercus suber) with Physospermum cornubiense
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Galicia, region of Orense, in the valley of the Sil, from its confluence with the Miño as far as to the confluence with the Rio Canrera; Portugal: western Duoro valley, (sectors Galaico-Portugués and Lusitano duriense)
area frequency
3 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Physospermo cornubiensis-Quercetum suberis Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Quercus suber forests, scattered Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, shrub layer of Erica arborea, Genista and Ulex species, the herb layer with rich fern stands.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus suber, Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia (isolated)
Shrub layer
Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Daphne gnidium, Ulex europaeus, Genista falcata, Cytisus striatus, Genista florida, Ulex minor, Halimium lasianthum subsp. alyssoides
Lianas
Hedera helix, Lonicera periclymenum, Rubia peregrina
Herb layer
Teucrium scorodonia, Physospermum cornubiense, Ruscus aculeatus, Viola riviniana, Digitalis purpurea, Polypodium vulgare, Melica uniflora, Omphalodes nitida, Asplenium onopteris, Pseudarrhenatherum longifolium
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus suber; Physospermum cornubiense, Polypodium vulgare, Melica uniflora
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)
On moist soils: Galio broteriani-Alnetum glutinosae, Salicetum lambertiano-salvifoliae, Fraxino angustifoliae-Quercetum pyrenaicae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F14), Quercus pyrenaica forests (G65, G67), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J5, J24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; substitute communities: Phillyreo angustifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis, Ulici europaei-Cytisetum striati genistetosum polygaliphyllae, Ulici minoris-Ericetum umbellatae, community of Cistus ladanifer, Lavandula stoechas subsp. sampaiana, Cistus populifolius (Cistaceae scrub on lithosols).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows, pastures.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-Mediterranean, (lower) supra-Mediterranean in the hill country; 310 m (?)
Geology (bedrock)
silicate rocks (Palaeozoic: among others Silurian, Ordovician)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
(stony humic cambisols; lithic and umbric leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, moderately dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(V), IV(VI)
average annual temperature
13-17 °C
average annual precipitation
600-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
1-7 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
ombro climate, subhumid-humid, climate slightly continental
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, cork production etc.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Rio Lor, Quiroga (Lugo).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; C. Pinto Gomes; V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez
