IBEROATLANTICA

Description

Basophilous sclerophyllous evergreen forests in inner, continental areas, drought-prone throughout the year for topographic reasons at various scales (rainshadow by high mountains, abrupt calcareous slopes, gorges channelling desiccating winds, etc.).

Protection

Protected under the code 9340 ("Quercus ilex and Quercus rotundifolia forests") by the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Quercus rotundifolia 100%, Rubia peregrina 62%, Brachypodium pinnatum 56%, Crataegus monogyna 52%, Glandora diffusa 42%, Ruscus aculeatus 39%, Clinopodium vulgare 37%, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 36%, Dioscorea communis 32%, Cytisus scoparius 30%, Teucrium scorodonia 29%, Teucrium chamaedrys 29%, Arbutus unedo 29%, Helleborus foetidus 28%, Arenaria montana 27%, Dactylis glomerata 24%, Daphne gnidium 24%, Hedera helix aggr. 23%, Cistus salviifolius 22%, Origanum vulgare 21%, Juniperus communis 20%, Rosa canina aggr. 20%, Asplenium trichomanes 19%, Prunus spinosa 18%, Geranium robertianum 18%, Erica arborea 18%, Sedum album 18%, Silene nutans 17%, Pistacia terebinthus 17%, Amelanchier ovalis 17%, Geum sylvaticum 16%, Lonicera etrusca 16%, Genista hispanica 15%, Quercus faginea 15%, Galium mollugo aggr. 15%, Carex halleriana 15%, Sanguisorba minor 15%, Lavandula pedunculata 14%, Phillyrea angustifolia 14%, Spiraea hypericifolia 14%, Viola riviniana aggr. 14%, Carex distachya 14%, Rhamnus alaternus 13%, Aristolochia paucinervis 13%, Erica vagans 12%, Galium pumilum aggr. 12%, Thymus mastichina 12%, Buxus sempervirens 12%, Lonicera periclymenum 12%, Viburnum lantana 11%, Festuca elegans 11%, Asplenium ceterach 11%, Saponaria ocymoides 11%, Rubus ulmifolius 10%, Melittis melissophyllum 10%, Genista falcata 10%, Epipactis helleborine aggr. 10%, Phillyrea latifolia 10%, Juniperus sabina 10%, Sedum forsterianum 10%, Genista scorpius 10%, Juniperus phoenicea 10%, Lotus corniculatus 9%, Viola alba 9%, Bromus erectus aggr. 9%, Juniperus oxycedrus 9%, Piptatherum paradoxum 8%, Brachypodium sylvaticum 8%, Polygonatum odoratum 8%, Hypericum perforatum 8%, Geranium lucidum 8%, Luzula forsteri 8%, Biscutella laevigata aggr. 8%, Vicia sativa aggr. 8%, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 8%, Laserpitium nestleri 8%, Hepatica nobilis 8%, Geranium sanguineum 7%, Anthyllis vulneraria 7%, Leucanthemum vulgare 7%, Galium lucidum 7%, Clinopodium alpinum 7%, Clematis vitalba 7%, Prunus mahaleb 7%, Erica scoparia 7%, Erica cinerea 7%, Centranthus calcitrapae 7%, Stachys officinalis 7%, Campanula rapunculus 7%, Vincetoxicum nigrum 7%, Sorbus aria 6%, Campanula adsurgens 6%, Daphne laureola 6%, Mercurialis perennis 6%, Scabiosa columbaria 6%, Quercus pyrenaica 6%, Lapsana communis 6%, Centaurea paniculata aggr. 6%, Polygala vulgaris 6%, Hippocrepis comosa 6%, Pteridium aquilinum 6%, Fraxinus angustifolia 6%, Helichrysum stoechas 6%, Agrostis castellana 6%, Sanguisorba verrucosa 6%, Carex flacca 6%, Anogramma leptophylla 5%, Hieracium murorum aggr. 5%, Helleborus viridis 5%, Cephalanthera longifolia 5%, Genista hystrix 5%, Fragaria vesca 5%, Digitalis purpurea 5% view more...

Indicator species

Quercus rotundifolia 0.99, Rubia peregrina 0.53, Brachypodium pinnatum 0.42, Glandora diffusa 0.38, Clinopodium vulgare 0.31, Teucrium chamaedrys 0.29, Crataegus monogyna 0.28, Ruscus aculeatus 0.25, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum aggr. 0.25, Helleborus foetidus 0.25, Arbutus unedo 0.22, Daphne gnidium 0.21, Cytisus scoparius 0.21, Arenaria montana 0.2, Dioscorea communis 0.19, Origanum vulgare 0.18, Juniperus communis 0.18, Sedum album 0.18, Cistus salviifolius 0.17, Pistacia terebinthus 0.16, Amelanchier ovalis 0.16, Dactylis glomerata 0.16, Asplenium trichomanes 0.16, Silene nutans 0.16, Lonicera etrusca 0.15, Carex halleriana 0.15, Teucrium scorodonia 0.15, Geum sylvaticum 0.15, Rosa canina aggr. 0.15, Galium mollugo aggr. 0.14, Spiraea hypericifolia 0.14, Lavandula pedunculata 0.13, Sanguisorba minor 0.13, Genista hispanica 0.13, Carex distachya 0.13, Phillyrea angustifolia 0.13, Aristolochia paucinervis 0.12, Thymus mastichina 0.11, Geranium robertianum 0.11, Saponaria ocymoides 0.1, Asplenium ceterach 0.1, Buxus sempervirens 0.1, Rhamnus alaternus 0.1, Juniperus phoenicea 0.1, Galium pumilum aggr. 0.09, Prunus spinosa 0.09, Genista scorpius 0.08, Epipactis helleborine aggr. 0.08, Juniperus oxycedrus 0.08, Bromus erectus aggr. 0.08 view more...

Phytosociology

Cephalanthero longifoliae-Quercetum rotundifoliae
Genisto falcatae-Quercetum rotundifoliae
Lithodoro diffusae-Quercetum rotundifoliae
Spiraeo obovatae-Quercetum rotundifoliae

Relations with other habitat types

Analogue of T21x in higher and more continental, frost-prone areas, especially in the southern side of the Cantabrian mountains. It replaces T182 in abrupt south-facing calcareous slopes, being in turn replaced by T197 in not so drought-prone areas, and by T3D6 in particularly high and continental, occasionally very cold areas. In the original EUNIS framework, these holm-oak communities are recognised only at level VII (T212414: Oro-Cantabrian encinares), the creation of a new level IV regional unit being thus necessary for the reasons explained under T21x.

T21y

Regional distribution

Their recent expansion, triggered by socio-economic factors but most probably enhanced by general climatic trends, is similar to that explained under T21x.

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

T21y Iberoatlantic Quercus rotundifolia forests on non-acid soils