T3C1 Western Palaearctic Taxus baccata forests

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Description

Low-stature, mostly evergreen woodlands interpretable as an often anthropogenic derivation of montane mature forests in particularly abrupt or heavily pastured areas, evergreenness (and the long-term investments it permits) enabling yews and hollies to better cope with occasional spring droughts in thinner soils and, through toxic or thorny leaves, also with persistent browsing by livestock.

Protection

Despite the inadequate geographic delimitation explicit in its very name, it seems reasonable to admit that code 9580* ("Mediterranean Taxus baccata woods") of the EU Habitat Directive grants priority protection to these forests. In the event of an alternative interpretation as holly woods (see below), they would remain protected, though without priority, under code 9380 ("Forests of Ilex aquifolium").

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Ilex aquifolium 88%, Taxus baccata 88%, Oxalis acetosella 68%, Sorbus aucuparia 68%, Corylus avellana 68%, Viola riviniana aggr. 56%, Luzula sylvatica 56%, Dryopteris dilatata 52%, Galium odoratum 48%, Vaccinium myrtillus 48%, Sanicula europaea 48%, Dryopteris filix-mas 48%, Polystichum setiferum 44%, Galium rotundifolium 40%, Crepis lampsanoides 40%, Dryopteris affinis 36%, Polystichum aculeatum 36%, Mercurialis perennis 36%, Melica uniflora 36%, Betula celtiberica 36%, Anemone nemorosa 36%, Stellaria holostea 36%, Saxifraga spathularis 36%, Euphorbia dulcis 32%, Daphne laureola 32%, Milium effusum 32%, Polypodium vulgare 32%, Polygonatum verticillatum 32%, Athyrium filix-femina 32%, Acer pseudoplatanus 32%, Lilium martagon 28%, Hedera helix aggr. 28%, Pteridium aquilinum 28%, Avenella flexuosa 24%, Lonicera periclymenum 24%, Valeriana montana aggr. 24%, Fagus sylvatica 24%, Erica arborea 24%, Poa chaixii 24%, Paris quadrifolia 24%, Omphalodes nitida 24%, Teucrium scorodonia 20%, Holcus mollis 20%, Hyacinthoides non-scripta 20%, Poa nemoralis 20%, Salix caprea 20%, Blechnum spicant 20%, Adenostyles alpina 20%, Narcissus minor 20%, Aconitum lycoctonum 20%, Conopodium majus aggr. 20%, Primula acaulis 16%, Allium victorialis 16%, Crataegus monogyna 16%, Quercus petraea 16%, Genista hispanica 16%, Drymochloa sylvatica 12%, Fraxinus excelsior 12%, Brachypodium pinnatum 12%, Papaver cambricum 12%, Ribes alpinum 12%, Corydalis cava 12%, Rhamnus alpina 12%, Ranunculus platanifolius 12%, Berberis vulgaris aggr. 12%, Euphorbia amygdaloides 12%, Abies alba 12%, Veronica officinalis 12%, Globularia nudicaulis 12%, Geranium robertianum 12%, Euphorbia flavicoma 12%, Quercus robur 8%, Ranunculus tuberosus aggr. 8%, Biscutella laevigata aggr. 8%, Doronicum carpetanum 8%, Urtica dioica 8%, Rosa arvensis 8%, Sambucus nigra 8%, Scilla lilio-hyacinthus 8%, Solidago virgaurea 8%, Allium ursinum 8%, Stellaria nemorum 8%, Salix atrocinerea 8%, Actaea spicata 8%, Ulmus glabra 8%, Prunus spinosa 8%, Prunus avium 8%, Lactuca muralis 8%, Juniperus communis 8%, Euphorbia hyberna 8%, Hypericum pulchrum 8%, Fragaria vesca 8%, Heracleum sphondylium 8%, Helleborus viridis 8%, Helleborus foetidus 8%, Helictochloa marginata 8%, Helianthemum oelandicum 8%, Genista florida 8%, Lathyrus linifolius 8%, Erythronium dens-canis 8%, Erinus alpinus 8%, Brachypodium sylvaticum 8%, Cardamine impatiens 8%, Castanea sativa 8%, Ceratocapnos claviculata 8%, Cirsium palustre 8%, Polygonatum odoratum 8%, Pinus sylvestris 8%, Pentaglottis sempervirens 8%, Digitalis purpurea 8%, Moehringia trinervia 8%, Erica vagans 8%, Geranium purpureum 8%

Phytosociology

  • Saniculo europaeae-Ilicetum aquifolii

Relations with other habitat types

The woodlands from which they typically derive are beechwoods (T172 and T182). Holly and yew (species with many revealing similarities: dioecy, physical or chemical deterrence mechanisms, seeds dispersed by birds through red fleshy drupes or arils) are often codominant, to the point that these forests might as well be included in EUNIS T27 ("Ilex aquifolium forest"), were it not for the fact that such unit is undefined above level III.

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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