Title
Middle Iberian supra-Mediterranean basiphilous Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests with Juniperus thurifera
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Old Castile, Maestrazgo, La Mancha, Aldehuela de Agreda, Talamantes, Purujosa and Calcena
area frequency
48 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Junipero thuriferae-Quercetum rotundifoliae (Rivas Goday 1959) Rivas-Martínez [stat. nov.] 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Basiphilous supra-Mediterranean Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia oak forests with typical Mediterranean species. In the shrub layer different junipers dominate while leaf-shedding thornwood shrubs are rare. The herb layer is very species deficient.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia
Shrub layer
Juniperus thurifera, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Juniperus oxycedrus, rarely Rhamnus saxatilis, Jasminum fruticans, Osyris alba, Rosa agrestis, Rosa micrantha, Rosa squarrosa, Crataegus monogyna
Herb layer
Teucrium chamaedrys subsp. pinnatifidum, Piptatherum paradoxum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia; Juniperus thurifera, Rhamnus saxatilis; Cephalanthera longifolia
Ecological variants
quercetosum rotundifoliae; osyretosum albae: supra-Mediterranean, lower belt (Osyris alba).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
alluvial forests: Aro maculati-Ulmetum; rock scrub: Rhamno-Juniperetum phoeniceae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
pine forests (C30), Quercus pyrenaica forests (G64, G65), Quercus faginea forests (G71, G72), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J4, J6, J14), open Juniperus thurifera woodlands (K29), lowland and alluvial forests (U30).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forest fringes (mantel): communities with Juniperus thurifera and Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia (shrub-formed). Broom scrub: Genistetum scorpii-Retametum sphaerocarpae (Salmantinian).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Chamaephytic thyme and sage formations with Linum suffruticosum subsp. appressum, Linum suffruticosum, Genista pumila, Sideritis linearifolia, Thymus godayanus, Satureja intricata subsp. gracilis; (Lino differentis-Salvietum lavandulifoliae; Veronico javalambrensis-Thymetum mastigophori, Thymo mastigophori-Lepidietum subulati). Pastures with Festuca hystrix, Dactylis glomerata subsp. hispanica, Koeleria vallesiana.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Carduo-Cirsion odontolepis.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
higher mountain base regions and plateaus (Meseta).
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean; 700-1300 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, chalky clay (Tertiary, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
not decalcified, apart from special sites with heath scrubs; (eutric and stony calcic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV6, IV7a, IV7b, IV(VII)
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
350-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
19-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
3-6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
dry-subhumid ombro climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only very occasional forest stands, sporadic trees in the landscape.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Agriculture.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and promotion of semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Iberian mountains (Guadalajava, Termel).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Díaz González & Penas Merino 1984; Navarro Andres, Sánchez Anta, Gonzáles Zapatero, Gallego Martin, Elena Rosello & Valle Gutierrez 1987; Navarro Sánchez 1986; Navarro Sánchez 1989; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Penas Merino, García González & Herrero Cembranos 1995; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martinez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos; J. Loidi
