S332 Ulex europaeus thickets

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Description

Dense thorny scrub on pretty deep, not too acid but superficially leached soils in oceanic lowland areas, never too cold and at most moderately dry in summer. Albeit less acidophilous, their role there is similar to that of unit S42m in higher areas, occurring as seral communities associated to mesophilous woodlands of the units T1Bx and T1E1, often in mosaic with R541 and rapidly evolving, as a result of the lack of a serious soil degradation, to woody thickets of the units S351, S353 and S355, bramble acting as the transitional structural plant. More stable stands of gorse scrub, reminiscent of their putative primary station, are associated with windy coastal promontories in mixed formations also reminsicent of some S42x heaths.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Ulex europaeus aggr. 1, Erica cinerea 0.64, Calluna vulgaris 0.43, Pteridium aquilinum 0.42, Daboecia cantabrica 0.41, Glandora prostrata 0.35, Brachypodium pinnatum 0.32, Agrostis curtisii 0.3, Erica vagans 0.3, Helictotrichon thorei 0.29, Glandora diffusa 0.28, Potentilla erecta 0.28, Erica umbellata 0.28, Halimium alyssoides 0.25, Ulex minor aggr. 0.25, Cirsium filipendulum 0.24, Rubus ulmifolius 0.24, Dactylis glomerata 0.21, Teucrium scorodonia 0.19, Daphne gnidium 0.18, Lotus corniculatus 0.18, Cistus salviifolius 0.17, Simethis mattiazzii 0.15, Arenaria montana 0.14, Smilax aspera 0.13, Agrostis stolonifera 0.13, Quercus robur 0.13, Erica ciliaris 0.13, Silene uniflora 0.12, Daucus carota 0.11, Koeleria pyramidata 0.11, Festuca rubra 0.11, Polygala vulgaris 0.1, Helictochloa marginata 0.1, Asphodelus albus 0.1, Cistus inflatus 0.1, Jasione montana 0.1, Hypochaeris radicata 0.1, Anthyllis vulneraria 0.09, Cuscuta epithymum 0.09, Agrostis capillaris 0.09, Centaurea nigra 0.09, Potentilla montana 0.09, Rumex acetosa 0.08, Corynephorus canescens 0.08, Serratula tinctoria 0.08, Rubia peregrina 0.07, Cytisus striatus 0.07, Pulicaria odora 0.07, Danthonia decumbens 0.07, Genista triacanthos 0.07, Viola riviniana aggr. 0.07, Genista tridentata 0.07, Erica mackayana 0.07, Cytisus scoparius 0.07, Polygala serpyllifolia 0.06, Pinus pinaster 0.06, Carlina corymbosa 0.06, Erica australis 0.06, Lonicera periclymenum 0.06, Pedicularis sylvatica 0.06, Leucanthemum ircutianum 0.06, Genista hispanica 0.05, Laserpitium prutenicum 0.05, Carex pilulifera 0.05, Neoschischkinia truncatula 0.05, Romulea bulbocodium aggr. 0.05

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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