Title
Catalonian-Provencal meso-Mediterranean cork oak forests (Quercus suber) with Carex depressa
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: East Catalonia: Vallés Ampurdán (sector Vallesano-Empordanesa); France: Roussillon, Massif de Maures, l´Estérel, Tanneron
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Carici depressae-Quercetum suberis (O. Bolòs 1959) Rivas-Martínez 1987 (= Quercetum galloprovinciale suberetosum sensu O. Bolòs 1959 non Braun-Blanquet 1936), Querco-Cytisetum monspessulanae in Loisel (1971); Asplenio onopteris-Quercetum suberis Costa, Peris & Figuerola 1986.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense cork oak forests with an open shrub layer of Ericaceae, Cistaceae and other strongly acidophilous plant as well as some liana species. The herb layer is species-rich, often with sclerophyllous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Cytisus villosus, Daphne gnidium, Pistacia lentiscus, Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Rhamnus alaternus, Ruscus aculeatus, Phillyrea angustifolia, Calicotome spinosa, Erica scoparia
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Hedera helix, Clematis flammula, Rubia peregrina, Lonicera implexa
Herb layer
Carex depressa, Asplenium onopteris, Stachys officinalis, Teucrium scorodonia, Brachypodium retusum, Agrostis castellana, Centaurea pectinata, Ruscus aculeatus, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Teucrium chamaedrys
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus suber; Cytisus villosus; Carex depressa, Stachys officinalis
Ecological variants
For the eastern part in France three communities have been described, corresponding to altitudinal belt and thereby also to their proximity to the sea: myrtetosum, typicum and pubescentosum. The unit with Myrtus communis remains restricted to the coasts and becomes species-richer from west to east. Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster are always represented here. The community penetrates only to a small extent into the mountain range and is restricted to valley bases up to an altitude of 200 m. The unit with Quercus pubescens in the inland is characterised by the absence of some thermophilous species with the name-providing species becoming more frequent.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
For Spain: Carex depressa; in warmer areas with dwarf palm in the undergrowth (Chamaerops humilis); in south-east France with Cistus monspeliensis, Cistus salviifolius, Cistus ladanifer, Euphorbia dendroides and Carex oedipostyla.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
The small sized mapping unit J48 (wild olive-locust tree forests) as a thicket with Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Pistacia lentiscus and Myrtus communis.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F26), species-poor beech forests (F100), downy oak forests (G41), Quercus canariensis forests (G76), meso-Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J4, J14, J15, J17), dune vegetation (P11).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinea, Pinus pinaster plantations, Castanea sativa forests, eucalyptus forestry, macchia and "Cistaie" of the Cistion "mediomediterraneum" (Braun-Blanquet 1952) O. Bolós 1967 and Quercion suberis Loisel 1971.
In the macchia, shrubs with shiny leaves such as Arbutus unedo, Phillyrea latifolia, P. angustifolia, Viburnum tinus play a major role, as do Erica arborea and Pteridium aquilinum (Ericion arboreae, Pistacio-Rhamnetalia altaerni; Cytiso villosi-Ericetum arboreae).
With still ongoing degradation, Erica scrub and calciphobic Cistaceae scrub species appear (Calicotomo-Cistion, Ulici-Cistion, Ericion umbellatae; Pino pinastri-Cistetum ladaniferi, Cisto-Sarothamnetum catalaunici?).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Short-grass meadows: Helianthemion guttati Braun-Blanquet 1931 with Tuberaria guttata and Andryala spp., Serapion Aubert & Loisel 1971 with orchids, Chrysopogon gryllus; Echio-Galactition tomentosae O. Bolòs, Montserrat & Molinier 1970, Brachypodion phoenicoides Braun-Blanquet 1931, Thero-Brachypodion Braun-Blanquet 1925 pasture land with Brachypodium retusum, Agrostis castellana, Centaurea pectinata; Vulpion ligusticae Aubert & Loisel 1971 with Vulpia spp., Aira spp.; Isoetion Braun-Blanquet 1931; Hyparrhenietum hirto-pubescentis.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso- and thermo-Mediterranean; 50‑500 m north slope, up to 600 m on the south slope
Geology (bedrock)
granite, gneiss, rhyolithe, sandstone (Palaeozoic), slate with large inclosures, (”intercalations rhy. puissantes”), ”cinérites”
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ranker, brown soils; deep silicate soils, especially stone-rich in the l´Estérel; (dystric cambisols; leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
moist to moderately dry
soil reaction
acidic, moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3, IV5, IV(VI)
average annual temperature
12-17 °C
average annual precipitation
350-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
3-8 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
subhumid, dry climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Almost completely degraded in the western part of the mapping unit, particularly at lower locations near Cannes, and converted into macchia or garrigue. Still present as forest in the Massif de Maures in remote areas and "hubacs" of the valleys.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Exploitation of cork oaks, fire.
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)
Barbéro, Loisel & Quézel 1974; Costa Talens, Peris & Stubing 1984; Folch I Guillèn 1981; Folch I Guillèn & Franquesa 1984; 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; C. Hettwer based on documents by M. Barbéro and R. Loisel
