Title
Baetic meso-Mediterranean basiphilous Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Paeonia coriacea
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Spain: Andalusia
area frequency
8 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Paeonio coriaceae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas-Martínez 1964.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Timber (high) forest with Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, at fresh and shady places, in ravines and at slope bases sometimes with Quercus faginea subsp. faginea. Olea europaea subsp. oleaster and Pistacia lentiscus as admixtures are found in warmer meso-Mediterranean parts (Asparago albi-Rhamnion oleidis as thermophilous facies).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Quercus faginea subsp. faginea, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Pistacia lentiscus
Shrub layer
Genista cinerea, Cytisus scoparius subsp. reverchonii, Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus alaternus, Retama sphaerocarpa
Lianas
Lonicera etrusca, Lonicera periclymenum subsp. hispanica, Hedera helix, Clematis flammula, Asparagus acutifolius
Herb layer
Stipa bromoides, Ptilostemon hispanicus, Geum sylvaticum, Paeonia coriacea, Paeonia broteroi, Festuca gigantea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Paeonia coriacea, Cytisus scoparius subsp. reverchonii
Ecological variants
a) quercetosum rotundifoliae; b) quercetosum fagineae: meso-Mediterranean types on moister soils with Quercus faginea, Acer monspessulanum, Abies pinsapo.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In addition two other vicariants: thermophilous Baetic type with Pistacia lentiscus and a Marianic-Pacensian type.
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)
Quercus faginea forests (G74), Mediterranean scleophyllous forest (J4, J1, J10, J7, J37, J38, J26, J31), fir forests (K25), lowland and alluvial forests (U30, U32).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; scrub with Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus alaternus, Retama sphaerocarpa, Genista cinerea; degraded scrub with Echinospartum boissieri, Phlomis crinita, Thymus baeticus, Digitalis obscura. The Quercus coccifera stands (Crataego monogynae-Quercetum cocciferae) represent the garrigue stage or the primary substitution stage of the basiphilous Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests; broom scrub: Genisto speciosae-Retametum sphaerocarpae; rosemary communities: Thymo orospedani-Cistetum clusii.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures with Brachypodium phoenicoides, Stipa bromoides, Asteriscus aquaticus. Arrhenathero erianthi-Stipetum tenacissimae. Tomillares: Phlomido lychnitidis-Brachypodietum retusi, Micromerio-Coridothymion capitati, Artemisio glutinosae-Santolinetum canescentis, Andryalo ragusinae-Artemisietum barrelieri; therophytic pastures: Saxifrago tridactylites-Hornungietum petraeae (without sheep-grazing), Medicagini rigidulae-Aegilopetum geniculatae (with sheep-grazing).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Arable land with corn fields, vineyards and olive groves.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Onopordion nervosi.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
ravines and slopes of mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-Mediterranean; 800-1500 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic; Palaeozoic); fluviatile sediments (Holocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown and red Mediterranean soils based on calcareous rock: humus carbonate soil and terra rossa; (stony chromic and stony calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
stony, loamy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4
average annual temperature
13-17 °C
average annual precipitation
350-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
23-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Stunted forests consisting of Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia and kermes oak. In Andalusia, where this vegetation has its optimum range, remnants and their initial degradation stages are rare.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
anthropogenic actions.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Sierra of Alhama.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Gómez Mercado & Valle Tendero 1988; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Perez Latorre, Nieto Caldera & Cabezudo 1993; Rivas-Martínez 1964; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
