S42m Erica arborea heaths

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Description

Tall heaths in not too eroded siliceous areas preserving their full potential to support woodlands.

Protection

This habitat is not protected under the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Erica arborea 100%, Pteridium aquilinum 59%, Vaccinium myrtillus 37%, Calluna vulgaris 34%, Daboecia cantabrica 32%, Avenella flexuosa 31%, Teucrium scorodonia 29%, Arenaria montana 25%, Potentilla erecta 24%, Genista florida 23%, Genista falcata 22%, Ulex minor aggr. 22%, Viola riviniana aggr. 20%, Erica cinerea 20%, Agrostis capillaris 18%, Blechnum spicant 18%, Holcus mollis 17%, Erica vagans 17%, Erica australis 17%, Cytisus scoparius 15%, Digitalis purpurea 15%, Quercus pyrenaica 15%, Galium saxatile 14%, Helictochloa marginata 13%, Arbutus unedo 13%, Stellaria holostea 13%, Betula celtiberica 13%, Fagus sylvatica 13%, Festuca elegans 12%, Oxalis acetosella 11%, Sorbus aucuparia 11%, Lonicera periclymenum 11%, Brachypodium pinnatum 11%, Cytisus striatus 11%, Crataegus monogyna 11%, Anemone nemorosa 11%, Hedera helix aggr. 11%, Erica scoparia 11%, Sedum forsterianum 10%, Saxifraga spathularis 10%, Cistus ladanifer 10%, Dryopteris affinis 10%, Lavandula pedunculata 10%, Lotus corniculatus 10%, Euphorbia dulcis 10%, Clinopodium vulgare 9%, Frangula alnus 9%, Hypochaeris radicata 8%, Halimium alyssoides 8%, Rubia peregrina 8%, Rubus ulmifolius 8%, Helictotrichon thorei 8%, Daphne gnidium 8%, Genista tridentata 8%, Agrostis castellana 8%, Quercus rotundifolia 8%, Quercus robur 8%, Halimium umbellatum 8%, Erica umbellata 7%, Solidago virgaurea 7%, Cistus inflatus 7%, Corylus avellana 7%, Brachypodium sylvaticum 6%, Cytisus cantabricus aggr. 6%, Salix atrocinerea 6%, Luzula sylvatica 6%, Cytisus multiflorus 6%, Cistus salviifolius 6%, Cruciata glabra 6%, Ilex aquifolium 6%, Conopodium majus aggr. 6%, Melampyrum pratense 6%, Anthoxanthum odoratum 5%, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 5%, Glandora diffusa 5%, Sanguisorba verrucosa 5%, Phillyrea angustifolia 5%, Physospermum cornubiense 5%, Jasione montana 5%, Hypericum pulchrum 5%, Genista hystrix 5%

Phytosociology

  • Avenello flexuosae-Ericetum arboreae
  • Genisto falcatae-Ericetum arboreae
  • Pterido aquilini-Ericetum arboreae

Relations with other habitat types

This scrub occurs mostly as a fringe of forests in units T182, T19A, T1By and T1D7, thriving on more organic and less readily drained soils than those colonised by broom communities of block S33. The small seeds of the dominant species enable a rapid colonisation of clearings and fringes, but as soon as birds kick-in, the evolution towards thickets of unit S353 is fast. Since the dominant species is a heath, we opt for creating the necessary new unit (all EUNIS units mentioning Erica arborea, mostly in the block @S5, correspond to purely Mediterranean communities, highly different from these very original neatly Atlantic and often almost paradoxically orophilous and cold- and snow-resistant shrublands) within S42, but the just described spatiotemporal position would rather suggest its inclusion in S33, as traditionally done by syntaxonomical formalism).

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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