Title
Baetic (meso-)supra-Mediterranean Abies pinsapo-forests with Paeonia broteroi on carbonate rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: 2 areas in the Sierra de Ronda and Sierra del Pinar (Grazalema)
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Paeonio broteroi-Abietetum pinsapo Asensi & Rivas-Martínez 1976.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense Spanish fir forests (Abies pinsapo) that are occasionally accompanied by Quercus ilex and Quercus faginea. The shrub layer is sparse while the herb layer consists of many herbs.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies pinsapo, admixed Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia, Quercus faginea
Shrub layer
Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa micrantha, Juniperus oxycedrus, Lavandula lanata, Ulex baeticus subsp. baeticus
Herb layer
Paeonia broteroi, Paeonia coriacea, Luzula forsteri subsp. baetica, Hyacinthoides hispanica, Doronicum plantagineum, Bellis sylvestris, Conopodium thalictrifolium, Bupleurum spinosum; Festuca scariosa, Jonopsidium prolongoi, Viola demetria
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Abies pinsapo; Paeonia broteroi, Paeonia coriacea, Luzula forsteri subsp. baetica
Ecological variants
a) abietetosum pinsapae; b) daphnetosum latifoliae: on moderately to intermittently moist soils with Daphne laureola subsp. latifolia, Helleborus viridis subsp. occidentalis.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Rock crevice communities: Sarcocapno baetici-Centaureetum clementei, Linario verticillatae-Sanguisorbietum rupicolae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Quercus faginea-forests (G74), meso-Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J3), thermo-Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J36, J38).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forests; thornwood scrub: Pruno mahalebo-Berberidetum hispanicae (supra-Mediterranean), Crataego monogynae-Quercetum cocciferae (meso-Mediterranean), Ulici baetici-Lavanduletum lanatae. Scrub: Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Daphne laureola subsp. latifolia, Crataegus monogyna, Lonicera arborea. Degraded scrub: Bupleurum spinosum, Lavandula lanata, Ulex baeticus subsp. baeticus. Tomillares (thyme communities) and Cistaceae stands depending on the degradation stage of the soil and parent rock.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows: Helictotricho filifolii-Festucetum scariosae; pastures: Violo demetriae-Jonopsidietum prolongoi with Brachypodium retusum, Viola demetria.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Nitrophilous wall communities: Putorietum calabricae, Stachydi circinatae-Papaveridetum rupifragi.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Heavily ribbed limestone mountains; north-west exposed slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean, meso-Mediterranean; 1000-1600/1800 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Jurassic), dolomite (Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mull-humus carbonate soils, calcareous brown soils, terra fusca, mull-ranker; weakly alkaline; (stony calcic and chromic cambisols; leptosols)
soil texture
strongly calcareous and skeletal, sandy-loamy
soil moisture, water balance
moist to moderately dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(X)
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
1000-1600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Mediterranean mountain climate; humid precipitation climate, snow-rich winters
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
As relict vegetation in 2 small neighbouring areas that represent its entire distribution, worthy of the highest level of protection !
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Abies pinsapo.
causes of endangerment
Forest fires, forestry, livestock breeding.
required measures for protection and restitution
Prevention of fires. Measures for protecting Abies pinsapo over its current natural range, and reintroduction of the species over its entire distribution area within ecological boundaries.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Asensi & Guerra 1980; Asensi, Diez Garretas, Ferre & Martin Osorio 1988; Asensi & Rivas-Martínez 1976; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
