Title
West and middle-Mediterranean Pinus halepensis-forests, partly with Quercus ilex, Juniperus phoenicea
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: coast south of Marseille; Croatia: southern Dalmatian coast; (not shown on the map for Spain; Italy; Slovenia; Greece)
area frequency
12 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Myrtus communis-Pinus halepensis- and Erica manipuliflora-Pinus halepensis-communities Krause et al. 1963; Rosmarino-Lithospermetum pinetosum G. Braun-Blanquet 1936.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open aleppo pine forests with an undergrowth of sclerophyllous shrubs and other Mediterranean species. The herb layer is interspersed and features hemicryptophytes and geophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus halepensis, partly Quercus ilex
Shrub layer
Pistacia lentiscus, Phillyrea latifolia, Myrtus communis, Erica arborea, Quercus coccifera, Phillyrea angustifolia, Calicotome infesta, Calicotome villosa, Rosmarinus officinalis
Herb layer
Cistus salviifolius, Erica multiflora, Erica manipuliflora, Pulicaria odora, Asparagus aphyllus, Euphorbia apios, Scabiosa webbiana, Scorzonera serpentinica, Lithodora fruticosa, Staehelina dubia, Coris monspeliensis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Pinus halepensis; Pistacia lentiscus, Phillyrea latifolia, Myrtus communis, Erica arborea, Quercus coccifera, Phillyrea angustifolia; Cistus salviifolius, Erica multiflora, Pulicaria odora, Asparagus aphyllus, Euphorbia apios, Lithodora fruticosa, Staehelina dubia, Coris monspeliensis
Ecological variants
Different types depending on parent rock and habitat.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Oleo-Ceratonion as well as Quercetum ilicis.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
holm oak forests (J14, J19, J20), wild olive-locust tree forests (J48), black pine forests (K11).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Garrigue, phrygana.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
rocky coasts, hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-thermo-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, chalky clay, slate, serpentine (Tertiary, Mesozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
(stony) chromic luvisols; dystric regosols)
soil texture
rocky, loamy-sandy, stone-rich, shallow
soil moisture, water balance
dry, very dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to alkaline
soil fertility
oligotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3c, IV3
average annual temperature
15-17 °C
average annual precipitation
350-400 (south France), 700-1000 mm (on Adriatic islands)
average temperature of the warmest month
21-25 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
7-9 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
predominately thermo-Mediterranean (Oleo-Ceratonion), beside that warmer meso-Mediterranean climate (Quercion ilicis).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Hardly any semi-natural stands exist.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Timber exploitation, grazing, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
Strict protection of all semi-natural remnants, exclusion of grazing to allow a natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: south of Marseille; Croatia: Adriatic islands (for instance Hvar, Lošinj, Korčula, Lastovo); Greece: north-Eubœa.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Braun-Blanquet 1936; Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Krause, Ludwig & Seidel 1963
Compiled by
Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier based on documents by I. Trinajstić
