IBEROATLANTICA

Description

Coniferous needele-leaved forests occurring on siliceous steep slopes in mountain areas with relatively sunny summers and occasionally harsh winters, including blizzards.

Protection

This habitat is not protected under the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Pinus sylvestris 100%, Erica arborea 62%, Daboecia cantabrica 62%, Avenella flexuosa 57%, Vaccinium myrtillus 52%, Sorbus aucuparia 52%, Calluna vulgaris 43%, Erica australis 38%, Pteridium aquilinum 38%, Quercus petraea 33%, Melampyrum pratense 33%, Asphodelus albus 33%, Betula celtiberica 29%, Genista tridentata 19%, Glandora prostrata 19%, Helictotrichon thorei 19%, Luzula lactea 19%, Genista florida 19%, Galium saxatile 19%, Conopodium majus aggr. 19%, Erica cinerea 19%, Quercus pyrenaica 14%, Quercus robur 14%, Simethis mattiazzii 14%, Arenaria montana 14%, Ulex minor aggr. 14%, Agrostis curtisii 14%, Potentilla erecta 14%, Viola riviniana aggr. 14%, Fagus sylvatica 14%, Agrostis capillaris 14%, Veronica officinalis 10%, Gentiana lutea 10%, Digitalis purpurea 10%, Ilex aquifolium 10%, Silene nutans 10%, Rumex acetosella 10%, Luzula sylvatica 10%, Festuca braun-blanquetii 10%, Cuscuta epithymum 10%, Nardus stricta 10%, Polygala vulgaris 10%, Cytisus striatus 10% view more...

Indicator species

Pinus sylvestris 1, Daboecia cantabrica 0.59, Erica arborea 0.53, Vaccinium myrtillus 0.47, Avenella flexuosa 0.42, Erica australis 0.38, Sorbus aucuparia 0.32, Calluna vulgaris 0.31, Pteridium aquilinum 0.3, Melampyrum pratense 0.3, Asphodelus albus 0.21, Genista florida 0.19, Glandora prostrata 0.18, Luzula lactea 0.17, Galium saxatile 0.17, Genista tridentata 0.16, Quercus petraea 0.16, Erica cinerea 0.15, Helictotrichon thorei 0.14, Conopodium majus aggr. 0.14, Agrostis capillaris 0.13, Betula celtiberica 0.12, Ulex minor aggr. 0.1, Cuscuta epithymum 0.09, Rumex acetosella 0.09, Nardus stricta 0.09, Potentilla erecta 0.08, Agrostis curtisii 0.08, Festuca braun-blanquetii 0.08, Simethis mattiazzii 0.08, Polygala vulgaris 0.07, Cytisus striatus 0.06, Gagea soleirolii 0.05, Agrostis castellana 0.04, Silene nutans 0.04, Festuca trichophylla 0.04, Veronica officinalis 0.04, Gentiana lutea 0.04, Patzkea paniculata 0.04, Sedum anglicum 0.04, Halimium alyssoides 0.03, Scilla verna 0.03, Jasione laevis 0.02, Holcus lanatus 0.02, Danthonia decumbens 0.02, Bromus erectus aggr. 0.02, Andryala integrifolia 0.01 view more...

Phytosociology

Vaccinio myrtilli-Pinetum ibericae

Relations with other habitat types

Scots pine appears to prevail where summers, by any combination of abundant direct sunlight, draining substrate and steep terrain, may become too dry for broadleaved deciduous trees like those dominating T172, T182, T1By and T1D7. Submediterranean oak forests of T19A carry the day at lower elevations, with longer growing season and less risk of blizzards and other sorts of inclement winter weather. They are also recognised by EUNIS at level V as unit T3724 ("Cantabrian Pinus sylvestris forests"). Like in T3A1, scattered dwarf pines may sometimes occur in boggy systems close to these forests.

T372

Regional distribution

Dominant across the highlands of the ecoregion throughout the Pleistocene and the early Holocene, as conclusively shown by pollinic records, the demise of these forests, nowadays restricted to very local spots hostile to other trees, was surely accelerated by human deforestation. Much later plantations have obscured the actual natural extent of Scots pine in the Iberoatlantic region.

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

T372 Iberian silicicolous Pinus sylvestris forests