Title
Thermo-xerophilous scrub with Periploca angustifolia along the coast of Almeria
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Spain: province Almeria (C. de Gata to Carboneras)
area frequency
1 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Mayteno europaei-Periplocetum angustifoliae Rivas Goday & Esteve in Rivas Goday 1959 nom. inv. et corr. Rivas-Martínez 1975 (= Gymnosporio europaei-Periplocetum angustifoliae Rivas Goday et al. in Freitag 1971; = Periploco angustifoliae-Gymnosporietum europaei Rivas Goday & Esteve 1972).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open scrub, sometimes with dominant mastic trees, olive trees.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Periploca angustifolia, Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea, Chamaerops humilis, Calicotome infesta subsp. intermedia, Rhamnus lycioides, Asparagus albus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Periploca angustifolia, Maytenus senegalensis subsp. europaea, Chamaerops humilis
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
maytenetosum europaei; lycietosum intricati: with Lycium intricatum; calicotometosum intermediae: in the Sierra de Cartagena with Calicotome infesta subsp. intermedia and Tetraclinis articulata.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
---
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
thermophilous scrubs (J52).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus halepensis plantations; Dactylo hispanicae-Lygeetum spartii; Aristido coerulescentis-Hyparrhenietum hirtae; thyme communities: Thymo morori-Siderition leucanthae.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures; grass communities: Lapiedro martinezii-Stipetum tenacissimae.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Hydroponic cultivation (in greenhouses), tourism.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
coastal flanks of mountain ranges exposed to winds from the sea.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lower thermo-Mediterranean zone
Geology (bedrock)
base-rich substrates (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
(stony calcic xerosols)
soil texture
stony, loamy-sandy
soil moisture, water balance
dry, very dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
III
average annual temperature
17-19 °C
average annual precipitation
100-200 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
25-27 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
8-12 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
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
Urbanisation (settlements due to tourism), livestock economy.
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
---
Most important references (author, year)
Freitag 1971; Mota Poveda, Cabello Piñar, Cueto Romero, Gómez Mercado, Gimenez Luque & Peñas 1997; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Goday 1959; Rivas-Martínez 1975; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
