Title
Baetic (meso-)supra-Mediterranean Abies pinsapo-forests with Bunium alpinum subsp. macuca on serpentine rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: south of Ronda in the Sierra Bermeja (Baetic próvince)
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Bunio macucae-Abietetum pinsapo (Asensi & Rivas-Martínez 1976) Rivas-Martínez 1987 (= Paeonio broteroi-Abietetum pinsapae Asensi & Rivas-Martínez 1976 bunietosum macucae).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense Spanish fir forests (Abies pinsapo), sometimes with Quercus ilex and Quercus faginea in the tree layer. The herb layer is species-rich.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies pinsapo, Quercus ilex, Quercus faginea
Shrub layer
Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa micrantha, Juniperus oxycedrus, Cistus populifolius subsp. major
Herb layer
Bunium alpinum subsp. macuca, Ruscus aculeatus, Digitalis obscura subsp. laciniata, Alyssum serpyllifolium, Pulicaria odora, Cerastium gibraltaricum, Geranium purpureum, Asphodelus cerasiferus, Bellis sylvestris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Abies pinsapo; Cistus populifolius subsp. major; Bunium alpinum subsp. macuca, Cerastium gibraltaricum, Alyssum serpyllifolium
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Variant with Pinus pinaster.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
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Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
meso- and thermo-Mediterranean cork oak forests (J26, J36).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forests; thorn scrub (Lonicero-Berberidion hispanicae), strawberry tree scrub (Phillyreo angustifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis), tomillares (thyme communities) and Cistaceae scrub (Erico- Cistetum populifolii) depending on the degradation stage of the soil and parent rock. Dense scrub: Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis, Crataegus monogyna, Juniperus oxycedrus, Rosa micrantha. Degraded scrub: Alyssum serpyllifolium, Cistus populifolius, Digitalis obscura subsp. laciniata, Staehelina baetica.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, meadows (Arenaria capillipes, Cerastium boissierianum, Iberis fontquerii).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Crop fields
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Primarily at north-west exposed mountain slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra- and meso-Mediterranean; about 1000-1500 m
Geology (bedrock)
serpentinite (Tertiary, Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
decalcified serpentinite soils; (stony dystric cambisols)
soil texture
strongly skeletal
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
moderately acidic, neutral; weakly alkaline
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(X)
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
1000 bis >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
humid climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Endangered as very old relict vegetation over an area that represents its entire range, particularly worthy of protection and greatly at risk.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
old natural Abies pinsapo-forests.
causes of endangerment
Forest fires, tourism, livestock breeding.
required measures for protection and restitution
Prevention of forest fires. Measures to protect Abies pinsapo over its current natural range and reintroduction of the species in this distribution area, but within its ecological boundaries.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: Sierra Bermeja; probably not protected stands.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Asensi & Rivas-Martínez 1976; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martinez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
