Title
Inner Baetic meso-Mediterranean kermes oak forests (Quercus coccifera) with Bupleurum gibraltarium
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: provinces Murcia, Almería, Zaragoza (Mediterranean-Iberian-Levantine area)
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Rhamno lycioidis-Quercetum cocciferae Braun-Blanquet & O. Bolòs 1954.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense forests of Quercus coccifera with thorn shrubs, junipers and pines.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
(Pinus halepensis?)
Shrub layer
Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus lycioides, Juniperus phoenicea, Juniperus oxycedrus, Daphne gnidium, Pistacia lentiscus, Ephedra fragilis, Jasminum fruticans
Lianas
Asparagus horridus, Rubia peregrina, Clematis flammula
Herb layer
Stipa tenacissima, Lygeum spartum, Brachypodium retusum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus lycioides, Juniperus phoenicea
Ecological variants
a) quercetosum cocciferae: typical form; b) pistacietosum lentisci: lower meso-Mediterranean belt (Pistacia lentiscus).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests and scrubs (J4, J3, J10, J7, J43, J52), alluvial forests (U32).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus halepensis plantations; dense scrub: Quercus coccifera, Rhamnus lycioides, Pinus halepensis, Juniperus phoenicea; degraded scrub: Sideritis scordioides subsp. cavanillesii, Linum suffruticosum, Rosmarinus officinalis, Helianthemum marifolium.
Murcia-Almeria province: Scrub: Dactylo hispanicae-Lygeetum sparti; tomillares: Stipo-Sideritetum leucanthae (Alicante, Murcia provinces), Sideritido bourgeanae-Thymelaeaetum membranaceae (Murcia province - central and western), Teucrio lanigeri-Sideritetum flavovirentis (Almeria province). Bétien province (Sierra Nevada): Scrub: Genisto scorpi-Retametum sphaerocarpae, Thymo orospedani-Cistetum clusii.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures: Stipa tenacissima, Lygeum spartum, Brachypodium retusum. Helictotricho filifolii-Stipetum tenacissimae, Ruto angustifoliae-Brachypodietum retusii (Murcia-Almeria provinces). Perennial pastures: Phlomido-Brachypodietum ramosi (Bétien Province: Sierra Nevada).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Pegano harmeleae-Salsoletum vermiculatae, Verbasco sinuati-Onopordetum nevorsi.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, metamorph-rocks (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
lime and chalky clay soils; xero-humus carbonate soils (brown soil with lime or gypsum crust), gypsiferous calcisol; (stony calcic cambisols; gypsic xerosols)
soil texture
loamy, rich in gypsum
soil moisture, water balance
dry, very dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
meso- to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(III), IV4
average annual temperature
13-17 °C
average annual precipitation
400-500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
25-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
2-8 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
semi-arid; rareness of precipitation throughout the year; maximum autumn precipitation, low precipitation in winter, spring (water deficiency in May); which is opposing to the Ibero-altlantic climate character.
.
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
No details
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)
Alcaraz Ariza, Díaz González, Rivas-Martínez & Sánchez-Gómez 1989; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Perez Raya, Lôpez Nieto, Molero Mesa & Valle Tendero 1990; 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-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
