S23x Juniperus communis subsp. alpina scrub on non-acid soils

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Description

Dwarf juniper and bearberry scrub on calcareous windswept ridges where snow doesn’t last long. Under natural conditions, only above the treeline, but in deforested, pastoral lanscapes it can be seen at lower elevations.

Protection

Protected under the code 4060 ("Alpine and Boreal heaths") by the EU Habitat Directive (the lowest, pasture-mediated stands might be alternatively protected under the code 5130 ["Juniperus communis formations on heaths or calcareous grasslands"]).

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Juniperus communis 95%, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 78%, Daphne laureola 54%, Helianthemum oelandicum 37%, Helianthemum apenninum 35%, Genista hispanica 35%, Juniperus sabina 31%, Teucrium chamaedrys 31%, Koeleria vallesiana 31%, Helictochloa pratensis 27%, Festuca burnatii 23%, Thymus praecox 23%, Sideritis hyssopifolia 22%, Arenaria grandiflora 22%, Saxifraga canaliculata 22%, Glandora diffusa 21%, Erica vagans 19%, Bromus erectus aggr. 19%, Carex sempervirens 18%, Festuca summilusitana 18%, Hieracium mixtum aggr. 17%, Teucrium pyrenaicum 17%, Globularia repens 15%, Galium pumilum aggr. 14%, Saxifraga paniculata 14%, Globularia nudicaulis 13%, Berberis vulgaris aggr. 13%, Brachypodium pinnatum 12%, Helictotrichon cantabricum 12%, Helianthemum nummularium 10%, Anthyllis vulneraria 10%, Astragalus sempervirens 10%, Rosa pendulina 10%, Amelanchier ovalis 9%, Gentiana occidentalis 9%, Thymelaea ruizii 9%, Pimpinella tragium 9%, Primula veris 9%, Digitalis parviflora 9%, Helleborus viridis 8%, Genista legionensis 8%, Vicia pyrenaica 8%, Rosa spinosissima 8%, Crepis albida 8%, Cotoneaster integerrimus 8%, Oreochloa confusa 6%, Phalacrocarpum oppositifolium 6%, Sempervivum vicentei 6%, Sesleria caerulea 6%, Cerastium arvense 6%, Coronilla minima 6%, Dethawia splendens 6%, Erica cinerea 6%, Biscutella laevigata aggr. 6%, Erinus alpinus 6%, Arenaria erinacea 5%, Calluna vulgaris 5%, Sesleria argentea 5%, Androsace villosa 5%, Aphyllanthes monspeliensis 5%, Thalictrum minus 5%, Buxus sempervirens 5%, Arrhenatherum elatius 5%, Carex brevicollis 5%, Carex humilis 5%, Alchemilla hoppeana aggr. 5%, Geum sylvaticum 5%, Hippocrepis comosa 5%, Helichrysum stoechas 5%, Festuca rubra 5%, Linum appressum 5%, Lotus corniculatus 5%, Euphrasia alpina 5%, Chaenorhinum origanifolium 5%, Hepatica nobilis 5%, Myosotis alpestris 5%

Phytosociology

  • Daphno cantabricae-Arctostaphyletum uva-ursi

Relations with other habitat types

Despite the existence of substantial floristic differences, EUNIS does not distinguish basophilous from acidophilous dwarf juniper scrub, new units becoming thus necessary (also to account for the considerable floristic singularity of the regional, endemic-rich communities). It occurs often in mosaic with grasslands of block R44.

Regional distribution

Known occurrences and potential area of occupancy of the habitat type in the study region.

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Citation: IBEROATLANTICA – Flora and Habitats of the Cantabrian Mixed Forests ecoregion.
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