IBEROATLANTICA

Description

Thickets dominated by strawberry trees and other evergreen Mediterranean woody plants in warm lowlands whose topography (south-faced steep slopes, especially in areas shielded from direct oceanic influence) or substrate (limestones, loose sand) turns drought-prone in summer.

Protection

This habitat is not protected under the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Arbutus unedo 75%, Rubia peregrina 71%, Smilax aspera 61%, Hedera helix aggr. 54%, Pteridium aquilinum 53%, Rubus ulmifolius 43%, Rhamnus alaternus 37%, Erica arborea 33%, Ruscus aculeatus 27%, Dioscorea communis 27%, Crataegus monogyna 26%, Quercus ilex 26%, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 25%, Laurus nobilis 25%, Teucrium scorodonia 24%, Quercus robur 23%, Daboecia cantabrica 23%, Brachypodium pinnatum 22%, Glandora prostrata 21%, Lonicera periclymenum 21%, Ulex europaeus aggr. 20%, Erica cinerea 20%, Cistus salviifolius 20%, Phillyrea latifolia 18%, Calluna vulgaris 18%, Rosa sempervirens 17%, Ligustrum vulgare 15%, Cornus sanguinea 14%, Ulex minor aggr. 14%, Erica vagans 13%, Vaccinium myrtillus 11%, Erica australis 11%, Arum italicum 11%, Osyris alba 11%, Phillyrea angustifolia 10%, Arenaria montana 10%, Avenella flexuosa 10%, Daphne gnidium 10%, Prunus spinosa 8%, Quercus rotundifolia 8%, Geranium robertianum 8%, Genista hispanica 8%, Frangula alnus 8%, Salix atrocinerea 8%, Quercus suber 8%, Erica scoparia 8%, Glandora diffusa 8%, Viburnum lantana 8%, Castanea sativa 7%, Ilex aquifolium 7%, Polypodium vulgare 7%, Cytisus scoparius 7%, Genista tridentata 7%, Pistacia terebinthus 7%, Corylus avellana 7%, Viola riviniana aggr. 5%, Rosa canina aggr. 5%, Quercus pyrenaica 5%, Polypodium interjectum 5%, Lavandula pedunculata 5%, Hypericum androsaemum 5%, Helictotrichon thorei 5%, Dactylis glomerata 5%, Dryopteris affinis 5% view more...

Indicator species

Arbutus unedo 0.75, Rubia peregrina 0.67, Smilax aspera 0.59, Hedera helix aggr. 0.46, Pteridium aquilinum 0.39, Rhamnus alaternus 0.37, Ruscus aculeatus 0.25, Quercus ilex 0.25, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 0.24, Laurus nobilis 0.23, Dioscorea communis 0.2, Quercus robur 0.19, Phillyrea latifolia 0.18, Rubus ulmifolius 0.17, Glandora prostrata 0.16, Teucrium scorodonia 0.15, Erica arborea 0.15, Rosa sempervirens 0.14, Lonicera periclymenum 0.14, Cistus salviifolius 0.13, Brachypodium pinnatum 0.13, Ligustrum vulgare 0.12, Phillyrea angustifolia 0.1, Osyris alba 0.1, Arum italicum 0.08, Quercus suber 0.07, Quercus rotundifolia 0.07, Daphne gnidium 0.06, Pistacia terebinthus 0.06, Castanea sativa 0.06, Cornus sanguinea 0.06, Viburnum lantana 0.06, Polypodium vulgare 0.05, Polypodium interjectum 0.05, Ilex aquifolium 0.05, Erica scoparia 0.05, Iris foetidissima 0.04, Geranium robertianum 0.04, Thapsia villosa 0.04, Frangula alnus 0.04, Pistacia lentiscus 0.04, Quercus faginea 0.04, Hypericum androsaemum 0.03, Physospermum cornubiense 0.03, Euphorbia portlandica 0.03, Lonicera etrusca 0.03, Festuca juncifolia 0.03, Dryopteris affinis 0.03, Leucanthemum pluriflorum 0.02, Olea europaea 0.02 view more...

Phytosociology

Erico scopariae-Arbutetum unedonis
Frangulo alni-Arbutetum unedonis
Phillyreo latifoliae-Arbutetum unedonis
Smilaco asperae-Arbutetum unedonis
Ulici gallii-Arbutetum unedonis

Relations with other habitat types

Interpretable as a thermophilous, relatively drought- and fire-resistant ecogeographical analogue of units S353 and S355 (i.e., a pioneer stage mostly of T211 and T21x woodland units).

Regional distribution

Widespread in submediterranean areas of northern Portugal, southern Galicia, Liébana and El Bierzo, in maritime areas they are restricted to steep slopes, especially on quartzites or karstified, percolating limestones, or fixed sand dunes, in spatiotemporal connection with N15x.

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

S51B High maquis