Title
Pyrenean montane pine forests (Pinus sylvestris var. pyrenaica) with Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Pyrola spp. mostly on siliceous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Spain: central-Pyrenees (from Rio Esera - west of Andorra - to the west of Puigcerba); France: northern slopes of the Pyrenees, only isolated on south-exposed sites
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Veronico officinalis-Pinetum sylvestris Rivas-Martínez 1968 (= Hylocomio-Pinetum catalaunicae Vigo 1968, Hylocomio-Pinetum uncinatae Vigo 1968 pinetosum uncinatae).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Relatively dense altimontane Pyrenean forests with Pinus sylvestris and a rich shrub layer. Hemicryptophytes forming a dense carpet predominate in the herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus sylvestris var. pyrenaica, Abies alba
Shrub layer
Cytisus oromediterraneus, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Buxus sempervirens, Ilex aquifolium
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Veronica officinalis, Festuca gautieri, Agrostis capillaris, Senecio adonidifolius, Polygonatum odoratum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Pinus sylvestris var. pyrenaica; Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Cytisus oromediterraneus; Veronica officinalis
Ecological variants
a) pinetosum sylvestris; b) galietosum rotundifoliae: to the west hyper-humid types with less continental influence (Galium rotundifolium, Potentilla montana).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
At the upper limit of the montane belt the Veronico offinalis-Pinetum sylvestris stands in contact with the subalpine pine forests of the Arctostaphylo-Pinetum uncinatae, with which it sometimes forms wide ecotones, particularly in the driest continental parts.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
open Pinus uncinata woodlands (C23), fir forests (D30), mixed downy oak forests (G41), Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia forests (J12), pine forests (K5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forests; broom scrub: Cytisus oromediterraneus, Cytisus scoparius, Pteridium aquilinum, Senecio adonidifolius; degraded scrub: Vaccinium myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris, Potentilla erecta, Linaria repens. The broom scrub as substitute communities of the pine forests and the facies of the subalpine series of the Senecio adonidifolii-Cytisetum oromediterranei occupy extensive areas, particularly in the Catalonian Pyrenees.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows, pastures: Agrostis capillaris, Dianthus monspessulanus, Thymus pulegioides.
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
southern slope of the Pyrenees, more rarely northern slopes of the Pyrenees and exposed surfaces under maritime influence; at various exposures, preferably sunny locations and windy hilltops/ridges.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane; 1300 to 1800 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (Tertiary, Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown ranker or oligotrophic brown soils; leptosol, cambisol; subalpine humus; (lithic and dystric leptosols; dystric cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moist to moderately dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
6-12 °C
average annual precipitation
500-900 (1400) mm
average temperature of the warmest month
14-18 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
subhumid-humid climate; on altimontane sites and southern slopes of the Pyrenees the continentality decreases in comparison to the north; above all fog is missing in summer, the number of clouded days decreases; harder and longer winters (lower number of ice-free days, diminution of the average minima of the coldest months). With increasing continentality the presence of beech-, fir- and oak forests diminishes to disappearance.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Tourism, forestry, livestock breeding.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
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)
Carreras, Carrillo, Font, Ninot, Soriano & Vigo Bonada 1995; Dupias 1985; Folch I Guillèn 1981; Peinado Lorca & Rivas-Martínez (Ed.) 1987; Rivas-Martínez 1987; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991a; Rivas-Martínez, Bascones, Díaz González, Fernández-González & Loidi Arregui 1991b; Vigo Bonada 1968
Compiled by
V. Voggenreiter based on documents by S. Rivas-Martínez; A. Penas Merino and L. Herrero Cembranos
