The Salic Pine Forest of Tenerife: Morello Fayae-Pinetum Canariensis Ass
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International Journal of Geobotanical Research, Vol. nº 3. 2013. pp. 37-45 The salic pine forest of Tenerife: Morello fayae-Pinetum canariensis ass. nova Marcelino José DEL ARCO AGUILAR, Octavio RODRÍGUEZ DELGADO & Pedro Luis PÉREZ DE PAZ Plant Biology Department (Botany). University of La Laguna.: 38071 La Laguna. Tenerife. Canary Islands. Spain Abstract The salic pine forest of Tenerife is characterized from a chorological, floristic and bioclimatic point of view, and the new association Morello fayae-Pinetum canariensis is described. Keywords: Salic pine forest, Phytosociology, Tenerife, Canary Islands Introduction The affinity of the Canary pine with salic (acidic) substrate and with recent volcanic lava flows, where it The Canary pine (Pinus canariensis) forest is the lar- acts as a colonizer, is well known. When such substrates gest forest of the Canary Islands, regarding both its po- are present outside the above mentioned bioclimatic tential distribution and current distribution (Del Arco et belts, and the rainfall regime allows trees to grow, the al. 2010a). To reach the latter, a massively undertaken pine forest extends over them as the potential edapho- afforestation task favouring the pine forest was decisive philous vegetation. This is the case of the new associa- in the past (Ceballos & Ortuño 1951), and also recently tion Morello fayae-Pinetum canariensis, which shows in a moderate sense. However, the quality 37of this eco- some floristic affinity with the mixed pine forest, ecoto- system and its floristic richness may have been affected nical between evergreen laurel forest and typical pine by the diverse uses it has been subjected to, particularly forest, which until now was conceived under the name frequent human caused fires (Garzón et al. 2012), and the Sideritido solutae-Pinetum canariensis subass. activity of introduced herbivores (Rattus sp.), rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), goat (Capra hircus), sheep (Ovis Materials and methods aries), barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) and mufflon (Ovis orientalis)) (Rodríguez-Luengo & Rodríguez-Piñe- The description of this community follows the phyto- ro 1989; Nogales et al. 2006; Garzón et al. 2010b). sociological method (Braun-Blanquet 1979; Géhu & The widespread pine forest of Tenerife belongs longs Rivas-Martínez 1981). Syntaxonomical adscription to to the association Sideritido solutae-Pinetum canarien- higher ranks is according to Rivas-Martínez et al. (2001, sis. It represents the terminal community of the climato- 2002). Taxonomical nomenclature is according to Ace- philous series of thermo- and mesomediterranean dry- bes et al. (2010). humid pine forest of areas outside the regular influence of trade-winds (Del Arco et al. 2006a). It has a wide Results altitudinal range, potentially between 900-2,300 m a.s.l. Morello fayae-Pinetum canariensis Del Arco, O. Rodrí- on the South slope and between 1,500-2,000 on the guez & Pérez de Paz, ass. nova hoc loco. Table 1 & 2 North slope. The ecological and floristic variability Syn.: Myrico fayae-Pinetum canariensis nom. prov. [Del within these altitudinal limits is shown through different Arco et al. (2006b) and Rivas Martínez et al. (2011)]. subassociations (Del Arco et al. 1987, 1992; Rivas-Mar- C. n.: Salic pine forest. tínez et al. 1993). It currently extends over a surface area Forest physiognomically characterized by Pinus ca- of 22,719 ha, which includes 11337 ha of substitutional nariensis, but enriched with species commonly linked to humid mixed pine forest (Sideritido solutae-Pinetum evergreen laurel forest like Erica arborea (“brezo”), Ilex canariensis subass. ericetosum arboreae) growing on canariensis (“acebiño”), Laurus novocanariensis (“lau- potential territory of upper-level evergreen laurel forest rel”), Morella faya (“faya”), Arbutus canariensis (“ma- (dry in summer) (Pericallido murrayi-Morelletum fa- droño”) and Visnea mocanera (“mocán”). In the under- yae), and excludes 11,207 ha of Canary pine forest growth there are several shrubs, with a dominance of plantations (Del Arco et al. 2010a). those coming from evergreen laurel forest, such as Corresponding author: Marcelino J. del Arco Aguilar. Plant Biology Department (Botany). University of La Laguna. 38071 La Laguna. Tenerife. Canary Islands. Spain: email: [email protected]. Telf 31 922 318601. ISSN: 2253-6302 (print)/ISSN: 2253-6515 (on line) ©Editaefa DOI: 10.5616/ijgr 130003 38 M.J. Del Arco Aguilar, O. Rodríguez Delgado & P.L. Pérez de Paz Daphne gnidium, Pteridium aquilinum and Hypericum It constitutes the salic pine forest of dry infra- and grandifolium, among others, and commonly Cistus sym- thermomediterranean bioclimatic belts with trade-wind phytifolius, a typical pine forest shrub. clouds, which on basaltic substrate are occupied by the It stands on salic substrates at lower altitudes that climatophilous community Visneo mocanerae-Arbu- those of climatophilous pine forest, from dry thermome- tetum canariensis. diterranean to subhumid mesomediterra38nean bioclima- It is established in the salic territories spread on the tic belts, both under the influence of trade-wind clouds. mid-altitude lands of Garachico - Los Realejos, the The vegetation of these belts, on basaltic substrates, lower part of Ladera de Tigaiga (La Azadilla -Los corresponds to the climatophilous dominance of dry Realejos), and Orotava - Santa Úrsula, at altitudes evergreen laurel forest (Visneo mocanerae-Arbutetum between about 300 and 750 m a.s.l. canariensis), humid evergreen laurel forest (Lauro novo- canariensis-Perseetum indicae), and upper-level ever- ● subass. cistetosum chinamadensis Del Arco, O. Ro- green laurel forest (Pericallido murrayi-Morelletum dríguez & Pérez de Paz, subass. nova hoc loco. Table fayae). As has been said, on such salic substrates Pinus 1B, relevés 21-22; holotypus relevé No. 21. Figures 3 canariensis grows well and dominates over the other and 5. laurel forest trees with which it grows. C.n.: Chinamada salic pine forest. It is located on the island of Tenerife, in the salic lava Cistus chinamadensis subsp. chinamadensis, an ex- flows of the mid-altitude lands of Garachico - Los Rea- clusive endemism of the salic outcrop of “Roque de los lejos, coming from the recent volcanic activity of Mount Pinos” in Anaga (Bañares et al. 1999), constitutes the Teide. It is also found in the salic territories of Orotava - differential taxon of this subassociation. Santa Úrsula, belonging to the second Canary volcanic This is a salic pine forest that has developed in the cycle. Besides these areas, it grows on some isolated dry inframediterranean bioclimatic belt with trade- salic outcrops such as Roque de los Pinos (Anaga) or La wind clouds, in which the basaltic substrates of the sur- Azadilla (Los Realejos). rounding territory are of the potential climatophilous The association corresponds to a particular plant dominance of dry evergreen laurel forest (Visneo community which has previously been included in the mocanerae-Arbutetum canariensis). Tenerife pine forest defined as Sideritido solutae-Pine- This subassociation is relegated to “Roque de los tum canariensis, but it differs from the latter due to seve- Pinos”, near the small village of Chinamada, in Anaga. ral features: salic substrate, bioclimatic territory, and floristic composition. Syntaxonomical comments ● subass. typicum. Table 1A, relevés 1-11; holotypus This association, under the provisional name Myrico relevé No. 11. Figures 1, 4 and 5. fayae-Pinetum canariensis, was proposed and used by C.n.: Subhumid salic pine forest. Del Arco et al. (2006b) in their Canary Vegetation Map. It is floristically characterized by the presence of Later, on the occasion of the collaboration with Dr. Pinus canariensis, Laurus novocanariensis, Morella Rivas-Martínez in performing the Map of Series, Geose- faya, Ilex canariensis and Erica arborea, and by the ries and Geopermaseries of Vegetation of Spain (Rivas- absence of trees from the more thermophilous and dry Martínez et al. 2011), this name was used, indicating its environments of dry evergreen laurel forest. estimated date of formal publication (2010), which has It constitutes the salic pine forest of the subhumid lower-mesomediterranean bioclimatic belt with trade- not yet occurred. In Rivas-Martínez et al. (2011, pp. 104, wind clouds, which on basaltic substrate is occupied 156 and 392), a number of clarifications were made by the climatophilous community Lauro novocana- about this community, in a diagnostic and synthetic way, riensis-Perseetum indicae, and above it, but without which we rewrite below together with some symbols and summer trade-wind clouds, by Pericallido murrayi- specific references in that publication: Morelletum fayae. 43f. Myrico fayae-Pino canariensis sigmetum: Tenerife It is mainly located on the salic lava flows of the climatophilous and edaphoxerophilous series, salic upper half of the mid-altitude lands of Garachico - Los subcloudy, subhyperoceanic, subhumid oceanic-plu- Realejos, coming from the recent volcanic activity of viseasonal thermo- and mesomediterranean, of fo- Mount Teide, and in the salic territories of Orotava - rests of Pinus canariensis and Myrica faya with Eri- Santa Úrsula, belonging to the second Canary volcanic ca canariensis and Ilex canariensis. (sc, sex) ▲, cycle, at altitudes between about 750 and 1,500 m a.s.l. 43fa. Typical faciation lower-mesomediterranean of ● subass. arbutetosum canariensis Del Arco, O. Rodrí- Pinus canariensis. c guez & Pérez de Paz, subass. nova hoc loco. Table 1B, relevés