IBEROATLANTICA

Description

Patchy communities of highly specialised plants of diffuse habit colonising colluvia of loose, moving calcareous stones. Since gelifraction is the most active source of stone deposits, these communities (somewhat variable in response to the size and hence the mobility of the blocks, warranting the recognition of higher level subunits) occupy larger areas and are more diverse in the mountains, but impoverished stands can be found at any level.

Protection

Protected under the code 8130 ("Western Mediterranean and thermophilous scree") by the EU Habitat Directive.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Linaria alpina 49%, Rumex scutatus 47%, Crepis pygmaea 39%, Arabis alpina 26%, Silene vulgaris 17%, Erinus alpinus 16%, Arenaria grandiflora 16%, Hornungia alpina 15%, Euphorbia pyrenaica 15%, Armeria cantabrica 15%, Iberis carnosa 12%, Arrhenatherum elatius 12%, Scrophularia canina 12%, Melica ciliata 11%, Carduus carlinoides 11%, Linaria badalii 10%, Cystopteris fragilis aggr. 10%, Galium pyrenaicum 9%, Helictotrichon sedenense 9%, Sedum album 8%, Centranthus lecoqii 8%, Doronicum grandiflorum 8%, Epilobium anagallidifolium 8%, Thymus praecox 7%, Biscutella laevigata aggr. 7%, Sedum sediforme 7%, Festuca glacialis 7%, Anthyllis vulneraria 7%, Ranunculus parnassiifolius aggr. 7%, Pimpinella tragium 6%, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria 6%, Galeopsis angustifolia 6%, Poa alpina 5%, Lactuca viminea 5%, Campanula arvatica aggr. 5%, Geranium purpureum 5% view more...

Indicator species

Linaria alpina 0.47, Rumex scutatus 0.45, Crepis pygmaea 0.39, Arabis alpina 0.25, Silene vulgaris 0.17, Euphorbia pyrenaica 0.14, Armeria cantabrica 0.14, Hornungia alpina 0.13, Iberis carnosa 0.12, Scrophularia canina 0.11, Carduus carlinoides 0.11, Arenaria grandiflora 0.11, Arrhenatherum elatius 0.1, Melica ciliata 0.1, Linaria badalii 0.1, Galium pyrenaicum 0.09, Doronicum grandiflorum 0.08, Epilobium anagallidifolium 0.08, Helictotrichon sedenense 0.08, Centranthus lecoqii 0.07, Festuca glacialis 0.07, Galeopsis angustifolia 0.06, Thymus praecox 0.05, Poa alpina 0.05, Lactuca viminea 0.05, Anthyllis vulneraria 0.05, Ranunculus parnassiifolius aggr. 0.05, Biscutella laevigata aggr. 0.05, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria 0.04, Poa minor 0.04, Erucastrum nasturtiifolium 0.04, Cystopteris fragilis aggr. 0.04, Geranium purpureum 0.04, Sedum atratum 0.04, Sedum sediforme 0.04, Vicia pyrenaica 0.04, Ranunculus alpestris 0.04, Erysimum duriaei aggr. 0.04, Paronychia kapela 0.04, Festuca rubra 0.04, Senecio pyrenaicus 0.04, Bromus erectus aggr. 0.03, Sideritis hyssopifolia 0.03, Cerastium arvense 0.03, Minuartia villarii 0.03, Saxifraga oppositifolia 0.03, Reseda glauca 0.03, Campanula arvatica aggr. 0.03, Saxifraga praetermissa 0.03, Jasione cavanillesii 0.03, Saponaria officinalis 0.03, Minuartia rubra aggr. 0.03, Lotus corniculatus 0.03 view more...

Phytosociology

Cystopterido pseudoregiae-Dryopteridetum submontanae
Epilobio anagallidifolii-Doronicetum braun-blanquetii
Epipactido atrorubentis-Linarietum proximae
Galio pyrenaici-Salicetum breviserratae
Linario filicaulis-Crepidetum pygmaeae
Linario odoratissimae-Rumicetum scutati
Minuartio rostratae-Linarietum filicaulis
Rumici scutati-Iberidetum apertae

Relations with other habitat types

Basophilous analogue of U232.

U283

Regional distribution

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

U283 Oro-Cantabrian calcareous screes