T211 Quercus suber forest

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Description

Acidophilous broadleaved, mostly sclerophyllous evergreen forests in siliceous lowlands with a (sub)Mediterranean climate, dry in summer but mild and rainy in winter.

Protection

Protected under the code 9330 ("Quercus suber forests") by the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Quercus suber 100%, Teucrium scorodonia 71%, Arbutus unedo 67%, Pteridium aquilinum 56%, Cistus salviifolius 54%, Ruscus aculeatus 50%, Calluna vulgaris 50%, Cytisus scoparius 50%, Ulex europaeus aggr. 48%, Erica arborea 48%, Daphne gnidium 44%, Crataegus monogyna 42%, Glandora diffusa 42%, Arenaria montana 42%, Rubia peregrina 42%, Hedera helix aggr. 40%, Rubus ulmifolius 38%, Halimium alyssoides 33%, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 33%, Dioscorea communis 31%, Jasione montana 29%, Erica cinerea 29%, Lotus corniculatus 29%, Erica umbellata 29%, Polypodium vulgare 29%, Quercus robur 29%, Lonicera periclymenum 27%, Phillyrea angustifolia 25%, Cistus inflatus 25%, Quercus rotundifolia 25%, Ulex minor aggr. 25%, Brachypodium sylvaticum 23%, Digitalis purpurea 23%, Osyris alba 23%, Dactylis glomerata 23%, Corynephorus canescens 23%, Vulpia myuros 21%, Pyrus communis 21%, Helictotrichon thorei 21%, Laurus nobilis 21%, Lavandula pedunculata 21%, Simethis mattiazzii 21%, Daboecia cantabrica 21%, Carex distachya 19%, Genista triacanthos 19%, Ilex aquifolium 19%, Viola riviniana aggr. 19%, Anarrhinum duriminium 17%, Quercus pyrenaica 17%, Clinopodium vulgare 17%, Euphorbia amygdaloides 17%, Andryala integrifolia 17%, Luzula forsteri 15%, Sesamoides purpurascens 15%, Crepis capillaris 15%, Genista tridentata 15%, Silene coutinhoi 13%, Helichrysum stoechas 13%, Pimpinella villosa 13%, Pinus pinaster 13%, Tuberaria guttata 13%, Brachypodium pinnatum 10%, Arum italicum 10%, Centaurea paniculata aggr. 10%, Cytisus striatus 10%, Umbilicus rupestris 10%, Prunus spinosa 10%, Carlina corymbosa 8%, Thymus vulgaris 8%, Teucrium chamaedrys 8%, Briza maxima 8%, Stachys officinalis 8%, Anthoxanthum amarum 8%, Spiraea hypericifolia 8%, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 8%, Sedum forsterianum 8%, Anthoxanthum odoratum 8%, Sanguisorba verrucosa 8%, Quercus faginea 8%, Erica vagans 8%, Erica scoparia 8%, Cytisus multiflorus 8%, Juniperus oxycedrus 8%, Aira caryophyllea 8%, Dorycnium pentaphyllum 8%, Genista scorpius 8%, Genista hispanica 8%, Pistacia terebinthus 8%, Origanum vulgare 8%, Genista falcata 8%, Frangula alnus 8%, Thymelaea ruizii 8%, Erica australis 6%, Glebionis segetum 6%, Geranium purpureum 6%, Anarrhinum bellidifolium 6%, Tolpis barbata aggr. 6%, Hyacinthoides hispanica 6%, Cistus ladanifer 6%, Lavandula stoechas 6%, Asplenium trichomanes 6%, Cistus populifolius 6%, Reseda media 6%, Lonicera etrusca 6%, Hypochaeris radicata 6%, Hypericum perforatum 6%, Hyacinthoides non-scripta 6%, Halimium umbellatum 6%, Castanea sativa 6%

Phytosociology

  • Arenario montanae-Quercetum suberis
  • Hedero hibernicae-Quercetum suberis
  • Physospermo cornubiensis-Quercetum suberis

Relations with other habitat types

These forests prevail in siliceous areas more rainy in winter than those favored by T21z but too dry in summer for T1Bx and with winters too mild to damage evergreen leaves and give way to T19A.

Regional distribution

Though usually as small fragments, often managed as a source of cork, they are quite widespread in the lowlands of southern Galicia and northern Portugal, often alternating and intermixing with T1Bx (which occurs in flat or less steep, north-oriented areas with deeper soils). Following the gradient of higher summer precipitation and abundance of calcareous substrates, eastwards they become increasingly rare and associated to drought-prone topographies, being still relatively common in inland western Asturias and El Bierzo, very local in Liébana and truly exceptional in the Basque country. Revealingly, these forests' ancient domains were and locally keep being typically exploited as vineyards.

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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