IBEROATLANTICA

Description

Short, grazed swards occupying deep, acid, humid but aerated soils, mainly in siliceous areas. They can also occur in limestone massifs where deep, very leached soils develop, like in moraines, colluvia or dolines filled with the clays released by karstification.

Protection

Protected with priority under the code 6230* ("Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas [and submountain areas in Continental Europe])" by the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Nardus stricta 100%, Potentilla erecta 52%, Galium saxatile 42%, Juncus squarrosus 37%, Pilosella officinarum 34%, Agrostis capillaris 33%, Festuca nigrescens 33%, Jasione laevis 32%, Lotus corniculatus 30%, Trifolium repens aggr. 27%, Plantago alpina 26%, Danthonia decumbens 26%, Calluna vulgaris 24%, Festuca rubra 22%, Ranunculus bulbosus 21%, Anthoxanthum odoratum 21%, Meum athamanticum 19%, Helictochloa marginata 18%, Carex caryophyllea 18%, Trifolium pratense 17%, Pedicularis sylvatica 16%, Luzula multiflora 16%, Avenella flexuosa 16%, Thymus pulegioides aggr. 15%, Poa alpina 15%, Erica tetralix 14%, Plantago lanceolata 13%, Plantago media 13%, Gentiana pneumonanthe 13%, Carex binervis 13%, Colchicum montanum 13%, Bellis perennis 13%, Trocdaris verticillatum 12%, Rumex acetosella 12%, Veronica officinalis 12%, Thymus praecox 12%, Achillea millefolium 12%, Polygala vulgaris 12%, Galium verum 11%, Neoschischkinia truncatula 10%, Luzula pediformis 10%, Phleum alpinum 10%, Polygala serpyllifolia 10%, Carex leporina 9%, Campanula herminii 9%, Carex echinata 9%, Vaccinium myrtillus 9%, Briza media 8%, Hypericum richeri 8%, Carex panicea 8%, Trifolium alpinum 8%, Succisa pratensis 8%, Scorzoneroides pyrenaica 8%, Euphrasia hirtella 7%, Festuca rothmaleri 7%, Hypochaeris radicata 7%, Gentiana lutea 7%, Serratula tinctoria 7%, Poa legionensis 7%, Agrostis hesperica 6%, Lotus pedunculatus 6%, Agrostis curtisii 6%, Carex pilulifera 6%, Cruciata glabra 6%, Trifolium thalii 6%, Alchemilla xanthochlora 6%, Solidago virgaurea 6%, Scilla verna 6%, Carex nigra 6%, Polygala edmundi 6%, Luzula campestris 6%, Geranium subargenteum 6%, Genista anglica aggr. 6%, Conopodium majus aggr. 6%, Cynosurus cristatus 6%, Luzula caespitosa 5%, Holcus lanatus 5%, Genista micrantha 5%, Sagina saginoides 5%, Carex lepidocarpa aggr. 5%, Leontodon hispidus 5% view more...

Indicator species

Nardus stricta 0.99, Potentilla erecta 0.42, Juncus squarrosus 0.37, Galium saxatile 0.35, Jasione laevis 0.27, Pilosella officinarum 0.25, Plantago alpina 0.24, Festuca nigrescens 0.21, Calluna vulgaris 0.19, Danthonia decumbens 0.19, Meum athamanticum 0.19, Agrostis capillaris 0.17, Pedicularis sylvatica 0.16, Lotus corniculatus 0.15, Luzula multiflora 0.15, Carex caryophyllea 0.14, Thymus pulegioides aggr. 0.13, Festuca rubra 0.13, Helictochloa marginata 0.13, Gentiana pneumonanthe 0.12, Carex binervis 0.11, Ranunculus bulbosus 0.11, Erica tetralix 0.11, Colchicum montanum 0.11, Avenella flexuosa 0.1, Poa alpina 0.1, Veronica officinalis 0.1, Phleum alpinum 0.1, Polygala vulgaris 0.09, Campanula herminii 0.08, Polygala serpyllifolia 0.08, Plantago media 0.08, Hypericum richeri 0.08, Trifolium alpinum 0.08, Luzula pediformis 0.08, Galium verum 0.07, Carex leporina 0.07, Succisa pratensis 0.07, Poa legionensis 0.07, Gentiana lutea 0.07, Scorzoneroides pyrenaica 0.07, Carex panicea 0.06, Carex echinata 0.06, Rumex acetosella 0.06, Vaccinium myrtillus 0.06, Trocdaris verticillatum 0.06, Geranium subargenteum 0.06, Agrostis hesperica 0.06, Serratula tinctoria 0.06, Polygala edmundi 0.06 view more...

Phytosociology

Campanulo herminii-Festucetum rivularis
Campanulo herminii-Trifolietum alpini p.p.
Geranio subargenti-Nardetum strictae
Luzulo carpetanae-Pedicularietum sylvaticae
Polygalo edmundi-Nardetum
Serratulo seoanei-Nardetum strictae
Thymelaeo dendrobryii-Nardetum

Relations with other habitat types

This unit replaces R1M2 at higher elevations (not without some transitional communities). It occurs often in a mosaic, generated by differences in grazing pressure and snow pack duration, with S23y, S33z and S421, as well as, at lower elevations and under more submediterranean, summer-dry climates, with S412. As explained under R43y, we create a new level IV unit since not all our Nardus grasslands fit confortably in R435 as R43521 (“Cantabrio-Cordilleran oro-Mediterranean mat-grass swards).