Forests in Andalusia

The domain of trees, our look-alikes – an invitation to connect with nature.

The forest is the ecosystem where trees predominate. It constitutes the end of the ecological succession and is the most complex environment in terms of structure. The forest masses of Andalusia are located mainly in the mountain ranges and along the coast, occupying land that is not very productive and therefore cannot be used for agriculture. To highlight the importance of two factors in explaining the appearance of Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems: the presence of extensive livestock farming and fire.

Andalusian forests are very varied, often with a lax tree density and incorporating abundant thickets and grasslands. The presence of junipers (Juniperus spp) is a prominent feature of Mediterranean forests.

In Andalusia the forests are very attractive for their biodiversity, although few of them have preserved a natural character of mixed forest, such as the extraordinary forests of the Dehesa de Camarate in Sierra Nevada and those of theGenal Valley in the Serranía de Ronda. On the other hand, it is worth mentioning the dehesa, a highly humanized ecosystem of agro-silvo-pastoral type present mainly in Sierra Morena.

Andalusia’s forests are dominated by oaks (Quercus spp) and pines (Pinus spp) complemented by other tree species.

Pine forests

– Salgareño pine(Pinus salzmanii),resin pine(Pinus pinaster),slash pine(Pinus sylvestris) and Spanishfir (Abies pinsapo). They grow in the middle and high mountains and constitute natural relict forests.

– Aleppo pine(Pinus halepensis). Adapted to dry conditions and widely distributed throughout the region.

– Stone pine(Pinus pinea). Coastal and low mountain thermophilic species.

Deciduous oak forests

– Quercusfaginea(Quercus faginea). It needs a mild and humid climate, mainly present in the sierras, usually in mixed forests. This species is semi-deciduous.

– Alpine gall oak(Quercus faginea alpestris = Quercus alpestris). It forms a curious high altitude pasture in Sierra de Las Nieves up to 1 850 m.

– Andalusian oak(Quercus canariensis). Iberian-Maghrebi endemism, it is the Quercus with the greatest demand for humidity and mild climate, especially present in the Campo de Gibraltar.

– Oaks (Quercus pyreanica). Scarce, usually in mixed forests. Marcescent species that retains dead leaves during the winter.

Evergreen oak forests

• Holm oak (Quercus ilex = Quercus ballota = Quercus rotundifolia). The Iberian Quercus par excellence adapted to a wide range of climatic and soil conditions.
• Cork oak (Quercus suber). It needs acid soils and more humidity than holm oak.

Acebuchales

The wild olive tree (Olea sylvestris europaea) is a very thermophilic species found in low altitude areas in Andalusia. It is nowadays restricted to uncultivated stony slopes and field borders.

Riverside forests

These forests grow on the edge of permanent bodies of water, mainly rivers, and are limited by soil moisture and not so much by the surrounding climate. Their trees are usually fast-growing and deciduous. Poplars (Populus alba) and willows (Salix alba, Salix fragilis) form dense, tall forests around the more abundant rivers. They are accompanied by poplars ( Populus nigra), ashes ( Fraxinus excelsior), elms ( Ulmus minor) and other small trees such as tamarisks ( Tamarix spp), alders ( Alnus glutinosa), chaste trees ( Vitex agnus castus), shrub willows (Salix spp), oleanders (Nerium oleander) and other shrubs. In these forests, there is an abundance and diversity of lianas, for example, the wild vine(Vitis vinifera) or the sarsaparilla(Smilax aspersa).

The diversity of strictly forest birds is modest in Andalusia, although the presence of the Iberian Woodpecker(Picus sharpei) is noteworthy. However, large emblematic birds of prey nest in its forests, such as the Cinereous Vulture(Aegypius monachus), Spanish Imperial Eagle(Aquila adalberti), Booted Eagle(Hieraetus pennatus) and European Honey Buzzard (Hieraetus pennatus). Pernis apivorus). Forests are also a refuge for large mammals and forest bats. Among the invertebrates, the insects that degrade dead wood(saproxylophagous) stand out, with numerous examples of very striking coleoptera of the families Cerambycidae and Buprestidae. To conclude, the diversity of fungi reaches its maximum values in the forests, especially in the forests of Los Alcornocales.

Marcescente : término used at botany for describe a those sheets from trees y shrubs deciduouswhich, after see completed the period vegetative and with the change from color from foliage, remain in the tree in its great majority during all the station cold (autumn e winter) to practically the output of the new sheets in the next spring. _ trees that areoften characterized by this phenomenon areoaks).

The ancient and tortuous pines (P. salzmanii) of the Sierra de Cazorla are part of my list of zen landscapes of Andalusia that especially touched me. Especially because they are populated by grasshoppers, excessively discreet because they are nocturnal and arboreal, but sometimes super abundant. What memories!