Title
Castilian-Cantabrian supra-Mediterranean basiphilous Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Spiraea hypericifolia subsp. obovata
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: north-east Castile, south-west Basque country (north Iberian mountains, central Navarra); sectors: Castellano-Cantábrico and Iberico-Soriano (local)
area frequency
13 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Spiraeo obovatae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas Goday ex Loidi & F. Prieto 1986 (= Spiraeo hispanicae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas Goday, Borja & Izco 1970); Junipero hemisphaericae-Quercetum rotundifoliae Rivas-Martínez in Arnaiz & Loidi 1983.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mediterranean and meso-Mediterranean, subhumid and humid, Castilian-Cantabrian oak forests with Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia and hybrid oaks (Quercus ilex linn.) on compact lime. Closed stands with low trees and an underwood rich in shrubs and acidophilous herbs. Highly localised as relicts in the submontane Cantabrian-Euskaldian and in the montane west-Pyrenean layer. In their climax stages on cambisol as well as on calcic luvisol soils above compact limes in Castile-Cantabria.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Quercus ilex, Quercus faginea; Acer monspessulanum, Arbutus unedo, Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Pistacia terebinthus, Viburnum tinus
Shrub layer
Buxus sempervirens, Juniperus communis, Spiraea hypericifolia subsp. obovata, Amelanchier ovalis, Viburnum lantana, Rhamnus alaternus; Colutea atlantica, Cornus sanguinea, Crataegus monogyna, Juniperus oxycedrus, Juniperus phoenicea, Ligustrum vulgare, Lonicera xylosteum, Osyris alba, Phillyrea angustifolia, Phillyrea latifolia subsp. rodriguezii, Prunus mahaleb, Prunus spinosa, Rosa canina, Rosa squarrosa, Rubus ulmifolius, Sorbus torminalis, Bupleurum rigidum
Lianas
Lonicera etrusca, Lonicera implexa, Hedera helix, Rubia peregrina; Hedera helix, Tamus communis
Herb layer
Helictotrichon cantabricum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Geum sylvaticum, Primula veris subsp. columnae, Asparagus acutifolius, Carex flacca, Carex halleriana, Carex humilis, Clinopodium vulgare, Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca, Epipactis helleborine, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Euphorbia characias, Filipendula vulgaris, Helianthemum nummularium, Helleborus foetidus, Hepatica nobilis, Mercurialis perennis, Piptatherum paradoxum, Pteridium aquilinum, Silene nutans, Sorbus aria, Stachys officinalis, Teucrium pyrenaicum, Thalictrum tuberosum, Thymelaea ruizii, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii, Ruscus aculeatus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Quercus ilex; Spiraea hypericifolia subsp. obovata, Amelanchier ovalis, Buxus sempervirens
Ecological variants
Subassociations in the areas of the western Pyrenees and Navarra: quercetosum rotundifoliae as a typical supra-Mediterranean subassociation; arbutetosum unedonis in areas of the lower supra-Mediterranean belt with more thermophilous species such as Arbutus unedo, Viburnum tinus, Pistacia terebinthus at ravines and southern slopes; quercetosum cocciferae with a meso-Mediterranean range with Quercus coccifera; quercetosum suberis on superficially decalcified soils in the region of Burga with Quercus suber.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
quercetosum humilis with Pyrenean influence and Quercus pubescens as a Eurosiberian relict.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Castilian-Cantabrian Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests with Quercus ilex s.l. and Juniperus communis in south Cantabria occupy a more or less broad strip between the high plains of the provinces of north Palencia and Burgos up as far as Jacetania in Aragon. These forests of the Spiraeo-Quercetum rotundifoliae are replaced in Aragon in the area of the Ebro lowland plain by the meso-Mediterranean continental-Iberian Quercetum rotundifoliae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F24), mixed oak-ash forests (F33), species-rich beech-forests (F136, F137), Quercus pyrenaica forests (G66), Quercus faginea forests (G71, G72, G73), Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests (J4).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forestry; kermes oak forests: Spiraeo obovatae-Querctum cocciferae; dense scrub: Amelanchier ovalis, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Viburnum lantana, Rosa squarrosa, Rosa agrestis, Rosa nitidula; scrub: Erica vagans, Erica scoparia, Genista hispanica subsp. occidentalis, Genista scorpius, Dorycnium pentaphyllum subsp. pentaphyllum, Veronica javalambrensis, Thymelaea ruizii, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi var. crassifolia; thornwood: Amelanchiero ovalis-Spireetum obovatae; Arctostaphylo crassifoliae-Genistetum occidentalis; juniper scrub: Buxo sempervirentis-Juniperetum phoeniceae; thyme communities (tomillares): Koelerio vallesianae-Thymetum mastigophori, on shallow basiphilous sites with Thymus munbyanus subsp. mastigophorus, Teucrium expansum, Linum suffruticosum subsp. salsoloides, Fumana ericoides.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures with Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium retusum, Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Festuca nigrescens, Festuca hystrix; Avenulo mirandanae-Brachypodietum phoenicoidis.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Carduo-Cirsion odontolepis.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to montane; supra-Mediterranean, isolated meso-Mediterraean
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
Referring to the vegetational degradation leaching of soils towards Erica-scrubs on relatively acidic humus; (eutric and stony calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV6, IV(VI)
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
600-650 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
19-21 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
2-5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
continental climate; subhumid to humid.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Developed as dense, young forests.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forestry.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Parque Natural de Valderejo (Basque country), Ega valley between St. Cruz de Campezo and Zuñiga.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Arnaiz & Loidi Arregui 1983; Loidi Arregui, Biurrun Galarraga & Herrera Gallastegui 1997; Loidi Arregui, Díaz González & Herrera Gallastegui 1997; Loidi Arregui & Fernández Prieto 1986; Navarro Sánchez 1986; Rivas-Goday, Borja & Izco 1970; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991a
Compiled by
J. Loidi; V. Voggenreiter based on documents by Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
