Title
Southwest Iberian Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Myrtus communis on siliceous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South-east Portugal: border to Spain (sector Algarviense); Spain: Huelva (south of Sierra Morena, sector Mariánico-Monchiquense)
area frequency
12 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Myrto communis-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas Goday 1959 em. Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia high forests. On lighter soils thermophilous trees such as Ceratonia siliqua and Olea europaea subsp. oleaster or also Quercus coccifera appear as competitors. The well developed undergrowth consists of flat-leaved sclerophyllous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Ceratonia siliqua
Shrub layer
Myrtus communis, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Chamaerops humilis, Osyris lanceolata, Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides, Arbutus unedo, Phillyrea angustifolia
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Rubia peregrina
Herb layer
Aristolochia baetica, Teucrium haenseleri, Phlomis purpurea, Briza maxima, Trifolium angustifolium, Campanula rapunculus, Pulicaria odora
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia; Myrtus communis, Osyris lanceolata; Aristolochia baetica, Pulicaria odora
Ecological variants
Three facies: quercetosum rotundifoliae; chamaeropsidietosum humilis (warmer sites with Chamaerops humilis); quercetosum suberis (in shaded fresh ravines with Quercus suber).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
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)
meso- and thermo-Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J1, J36, J38, J25), salt vegetation (P24), moist and alluvial forests (U31).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; as a result of grazing, pasture forests of the Dehesa type also arise; strawberry tree scrub as a first degradation stage with myrtales on deeper soils (rare); Phillyreo-Arbutetum unedonis with Rhamnus lycioides subsp. oleoides, Asparagus aphyllus, Osyris lanceolata; thornwood scrub: Asparago albi-Rhamnetum oleidis, Asparago-Calicotometum villosae; degraded scrub: Ulici eriocladi-Cistetum ladaniferi with Cistus monspeliensis, Ulex eriocladus, Genista hirsuta, Lavandula stoechas subsp. sampaiana; broom scrub: Bupleuro-Ononidetum speciosae, Lavandulo-Genistetum equisitiformis.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows and pastures with Poa bulbosa, Tuberaria guttata, Stipa capensis; Trifolio subterranei-Poetum bulbosae.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal cultivation, viniculture.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Galactito tomentosae-Vulpietum geniculatae.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly and mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
thermo-Mediterranean; 0-800 m
Geology (bedrock)
silicate rocks: granite, gneiss (Palaeozoic), Quaternary chad; slate, graywacke (Devonian and Carboniferous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
stone-rich brown soils; (stony dystric cambisols)
soil texture
clayey, loamy
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3, IV(III)
average annual temperature
15-19 °C
average annual precipitation
350-550 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
25-30 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
6-10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
maximum of rainfalls in winter/spring; dry-subhumid climate; the shortness of winter and the rareness of frosts is characteristic.
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
Commercial forestry usage, livestock breeding, agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Portugal: Parque Natural do Guadiana.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Goday 1959; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; C. Pinto Gomes
