Title
Southwest Iberian Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Smilax aspera on carbonate rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Portugal: Algarve; south and south-west Spain: lowplain and hilly country in the esturay of the Guadalquivir, southern slopes of the Baetic outer chains above all with orientation towards the Mediterranean Sea
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Smilaci mauritanicae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Barbéro, Quézel & Rivas-Martínez ex Rivas-Martínez 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia high forests, in which other tree species such as Ceratonia siliqua, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster and Quercus coccifera also occur in the tree layer. Shrubs and lianas also occur.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Ceratonia siliqua
Shrub layer
Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Chamaerops humilis, Quercus coccifera
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Lonicera implexa, Asparagus acutifolius, Asparagus albus; Clematis flammula
Herb layer
Aristolochia baetica, Bupleurum gibraltarium, Arisarum vulgare, Asplenium onopteris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia; Quercus coccifera; Smilax aspera
Ecological variants
quercetosum rotundifoliae (typical facies); quercetosum suberis: palaeozoic soils on fresh sites (with Quercus suber in the Malaga and Axarquiense subsectors); maytenetosum europaei with littoral influence (with Maytenus senegalensis subsp. Europaea in the Alpujarra subsector) (thermophilous dry facies according to Voggenreiter); buxetosum balearicae: deep soils, very dry to subhumid ombroclimate (with Buxus balearica in the Almijarense subsector).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
alluvial forest and scrub: 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 and dry scrubs (J1, J3, J26, J31, J35, J36, J37, J41, J42, J43, J51), dune vegetation (P9), salt vegetation (P24), moist and alluvial forest (U31, U30, U32).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Degraded scrub with Coridothymus capitatus, Teucrium lusitanicum, Phlomis purpurea, Micromeria graeca; thornwood scrub: Asparago albi-Rhamnetum oleoidis; broom scrub: Lavandulo dentatae-Genistetum retamoidis; mastic tree scrub: Bupleuro gibraltarici-Pistacietum lentisci; Cistaceae scrub: Genisto hirsutae-Cistetum ladaniferi, Phlomido purpureae-Cistetum albidi, Lavandulo stoechidis-Genistetum equisitiformis; tomillares: Odontito purpureae-Thymetum baetici, Thymo lotocephali-Corydothymetum capitati.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows, pastures with Brachypodium retusum, Hyparrhenia hirta subsp. pubescens, Brachypodium distachyon; Ruto angustifoliae-Brachypodietum ramosi, Aristido coerulescentis-Hyparrhienetum pubescentis; nitrophilous communities: Inulo viscosae-Oryzopsietum miliaeceae, Dittrichietum revolutae, Anacyclo radiati-Hordeetum leporini.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Agriculture.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Fedio cornucopiae-Sinapietum albae, Hordeo leporini-Glossopapetum macroti.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
on slopes facing the Mediterranean Sea, lowland plains of Guadalquivir, weakly undulating hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
thermo-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Permian, Silurian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
lime soils, chalky clay; (stony calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols; pellic vertisols)
soil texture
loamy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3, IV(III)
average annual temperature
16-18 °C
average annual precipitation
350-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
24-29 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
8-12 °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
All natural forest communities; Portugal: Thymo lotocephali-Corydothymetum capitati. Species worthy of protection: Thymus lotocephalus, Sideritis arborescens subsp. lusitanica, Plantago algarbiensis, Narcissus willkommii, Doronicum plantagineum.
causes of endangerment
Changes in usage.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Portugal: area near Rocha and near Pena (Loulé-Faro).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Ladero Alvarez, Díaz González, Penas Merino, Rivas-Martínez & Valle Gutierrez 1987; Perez Latorre, Nieto Caldera & Cabezudo 1993; Perez Raya, Lôpez Nieto, Molero Mesa & Valle Tendero 1990; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martinez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; C. Pinto Gomes
