Title
Middle Iberian supra-Mediterranean open Juniperus thurifera-woodlands with Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Artemisia pedemontana
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: provinces Burgos, Soria, Guadalajara and Cuenza (sectors Celtibérico-Alcarreño, Maestracense, Guadarrámico)
area frequency
31 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Juniperetum hemisphaerico-thuriferae Rivas-Martínez 1969.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
In the climax stage open forests with dominating juniper species (Juniperus thurifera, Juniperus phoenicea, Juniperus sabina) and with a dense shrub layer in which shrub-like chamaephytes dominate.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Juniperus thurifera
Shrub layer
Juniperus phoenicea, Rhamnus saxatilis subsp. saxatilis, Salvia lavandulifolia, Rosa agrestis, Berberis vulgaris subsp. seroi, Juniperus sabina, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica; Rhamnus lycioides, Rosa pouzinii, Ephedra nebrodensis, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Herb layer
Festuca trichophylla, Festuca hystrix, Artemisia pedemontana, Poa ligulata, Linum suffruticosum subsp. appressum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Juniperus thurifera; Juniperus phoenicea, Berberis vulgaris subsp. seroi; Artemisia pedemontana
Ecological variants
juniperetosum oxycedri: on weakly acid soils with Juniperus oxycedrus.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
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)
pine forests (C29), Quercus pyrenaica-forests (G64), Quercus faginea-forests (G71, G72, G73), Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia-forests (J6, J9).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Scrub: Salvio lavandulifoliae-Linetum appresi, Genisto scorpii-Cistetum laurifolii (in valley floors on decalcified substrate); thick scrub: Rosa pouzinii, Ephedra nebrodensis, Rhamnus saxatilis, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi; degraded scrub: Genista scorpius, Linum suffruticosum, Gypsophila hispanica, Rosmarinus officinalis.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures: Lygeum spartum, Stipa iberica, Brachypodium retusum; Festucetum hystricis, Mantisalco salmanticae-Brachypodietum phoenicoides (deeper soils).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Crop fields.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
---
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
karstic mountain ranges
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
shallow decalcified terra rossa and lime-lithosol, often very meagre; shallow to deep soils; ( SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1calcaric and lithic leptosols; chromic and stony calcic cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil texture
stony, loamy-sandy
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to very dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV5, IV6
average annual temperature
8-13 °C
average annual precipitation
500-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
19-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 3 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
dry to subhumid climate (rarely moist).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Reafforestation is complicated by summer droughts, the shallowness of the soils and the cold winters.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Agriculture combined with livestock breeding.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of semi-natural remnants.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Fernández-González 1988; Navarro Sánchez 1986; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Fernández-González, Sánchez-Mata & Pizarro 1990
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
