Title
Lusitanian-Onubense cork oak forests (Quercus suber) with Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Juniperus navicularis, Quercus faginea subsp. broteroi on poor sandy soils
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Portugal: Estremadura, Ribatejo, Algarve; Spain: region around Huelva, (Costa de la Luz), Cadiz
area frequency
15 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Oleo sylvestris-Quercetum suberis Rivas Goday, F. Galiano & Rivas-Martínez in Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Cork oak forests (Quercus suber) with a height of 10-12 m, accompanied by highly thermophilous species on sandy soils.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Pistacia lentiscus, Quercus coccifera, Chamaerops humilis, Halimium halimifolium, Halimium calycinum, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata, Juniperus navicularis, Stauracanthus spectabilis
Lianas
Aristolochia baetica, Clematis cirrhosa, Rubia peregrina subsp. longifolia, Smilax aspera
Herb layer
Thymus capitellatus, Thymus camphoratus, Ruscus aculeatus, Pycnocomon intermedium, Euphorbia boetica, Arum italicum, Piptatherum miliaceum, Iberis ciliata subsp. welwitschii, Armeria rouyana, Armeria pinifolia
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus suber; Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Halimium halimifolium; Euphorbia boetica, Iberis ciliata subsp. welwitschii
Ecological variants
Subdivided into 3 facies: Marianic-Mochiquense above sandier-loamier soils and hard substrates, typical Facies; Gaditanian-Onubiensian above sands with Halimium halimifolium; Gaditanian above sandy soils with Calicotome villosa.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Scrophulario scorodoniae-Alnetum glutinosae, Salicetum atrocinero-australis, Ficario ranunculoidis-Fraxinetum angustifoliae, Polygono equisetiformis-Tamaricetum africanae, Rubo ulmifolii-Nerietum oleandri, Viti sylvestris-Salicetum atrocinereae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Quercus faginea subsp. broteroi forests (G75), meso- and thermo-Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J25, J29, J36, J38, J42), dune vegetation (P9), salt vegetation (P24), moist and alluvial forests (U30).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; exploitation of cork oak; pioneer forest stages: Asparago albi-Rhamnetum oleoidis; broom scrub: Cisto-Ulicetum australis (with maritime influence), Fumano-Cistetum crispi (without maritime influence); Cistaceae scrub: Halimio commutati-Cistetum libanotidis, Halimio halimifolii-Stauracanthetum genistoidis, Halimio ocymoidis-Cistetum psilosepali; heaths: Erico scopariae-Ulicetum australis, Thymetum capitellati-Stauracanthetum genistoidis.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures: Dactylis glomerata subsp. hispanica, Poa bulbosa, Tuberaria guttata; Malcolmio littoreae-Vulpietum alopecuroidis (with maritime influence); Anthyllido hamosae-Malcolmietum lacerae (without maritime influence).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Chamaemeli mixti-Vulpietum alopecuroris.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
plains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
thermo-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
sandstone (Tertiary, Devonian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
deep sand soils, Palaeo-podzoles on sand soils; (dystric regosols; (stony) orthic podzols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to very dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
III(IV), IV(III), IV(V), IV3
average annual temperature
17-19 °C
average annual precipitation
350-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
21-25 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
6-10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
dry-humid climate.
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
Endemic species in Portugal: Armeria rouyana, Armeria pinifolia, Thymus capitellatus, Thymus camphoratus among others
causes of endangerment
Forestry, exploitation of cork oak.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Portugal: nature reserve Estuário do Sado.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Perez Latorre, Galan de Mera, Deil & Cabezudo 1996; Perez Latorre, Nieto Caldera & Cabezudo 1993; Rivas-Goday, Galiano & Rivas-Martínez 1963; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Costa Talens, Castroviejo & Valdés Bermejo 1980; Rivas-Martínez, Fernández Lousa, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Costa 1990
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; C. Pinto Gomes; V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez
