Title
Cantabrian altimontane relict open Juniperus thurifera-woodlands with Juniperus sabina, Pritzelago alpina subsp. auerswaldii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: Southern escarpment of the Cantabrian mountains: Pico de Europa (province oro-Cantabria, sector Ubiñense, subsector Altocarriones)
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Juniperetum sabinae-thuriferae Rivas-Martínez, Izco & Costa 1971.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The montane, oro-Cantabrian relict Juniperus thurifera stands are open forests with several layers in their mature stages: an open tree layer particularly with Juniperus thurifera, and sometimes admixtures of Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia as well as Quercus faginea. The contiguous shrub layer consists particularly of low-lying phanerophytes. Juniperus sabina is dominant, as is Juniperus communis subsp. alpina. The herb layer contains a strong contingent of Iberian-continental, and to the south Eurosiberian (sub-Mediterranean) species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Juniperus thurifera, admixed Quercus faginea, Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia
Shrub layer
Juniperus sabina, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Berberis vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Rhamnus alpina, Prunus mahaleb, Viburnum lantana
Herb layer
Lithodora diffusa, Arenaria leptoclados, Poa ligulata, Festuca hystrix, Festuca burnatii, Pimpinella siifolia, Laserpitium nestleri, Matthiola perennis, Pritzelago alpina subsp. auerswaldii
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Juniperus thurifera; Juniperus sabina, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Berberis vulgaris subsp. vulgaris; Lithodora diffusa, Arenaria leptoclados, Poa ligulata, Festuca hystrix, Festuca burnatii, Pimpinella siifolia, Laserpitium nestleri, Matthiola perennis, Pritzelago alpina subsp. auerswaldii
Ecological variants
Quercus faginea on deeper soils; relict crawling juniper scrub of a subalpine character above 1500 m. Basiphilous scrub with Genista scorpius, Helianthemum oelandicum subsp. incanum, Helianthemum nummularium, Teucrium pyrenaicum with increasing soil erosion and outcropping rock subsoil.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Scree communities (Linario odoratissimae-Rumicetum scutati).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Juniperus communis subsp. alpina-scrubs (C26), acidophilous oak forests (F24), species-poor beech forests (F98), species-rich beech forests (F136), Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G66), Quercus faginea-forests (G73).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Scrub: Berberis vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Prunus mahaleb, Rhamnus alpina, Rosa rubiginosa, Genista hispanica subsp. occidentalis, Genista scorpius, Teucrium pyrenaicum, Lithodora diffusa; thornwood scrub: Pruno spinosae-Berberidetum cantabricae, Lithodoro diffusae-Genistetum scorpii, Lithodoro diffusae-Genistetum occidentalis.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures: Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Arenaria leptoclados, Festuca hystrix; Helianthemo cantabrici-Brometum erecti, Arenario cantabricae-Festucetum hystricis, Festuco hystricis-Thymetum mastigophori; therophytic grasslands: Minuartio hybridae-Saxifragetum tridactylitis; chasmophytic communities: Centrantho lecoqii-Saxifragetum canaliculatae.
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
mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane; 1000-1800 m
Geology (bedrock)
base-rich carbonate rocks (Carboniferous, Devonian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
xeric lithosol; (lithic leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
neutral or alkaline
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
6-12 °C
average annual precipitation
600-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-16 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
dryness/drought.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The relict communities are greatly endangered.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
all relict forest communities.
causes of endangerment
Fires, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the semi-natural relict remnants.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Spain: de Luna, Crémenes, Anciles (Barrage of Riaño), Besands.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Díaz González & Penas Merino 1984; García González 1990; Ladero Alvarez, Díaz González, Penas Merino, Rivas-Martínez & Valle Gutierrez 1987; Penas Merino, García González & Herrero Cembranos 1995; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Izco & Costa Talens 1971; Rivas-Martínez, Díaz González, Fernández Prieto, Loidi Arregui & Penas Merino 1984
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
