Contribution to the Iberian thermomediterranean oak woods (Spain, Portugal): the importance of their teaching for the training of experts in environmental management

Abstract

The study of the holm oak forests of the lower and upper mesomediterranean of the south of the Iberian Peninsula, and new syntaxons of holm oak forests not assigned until now are contributed. The plant dynamics is provided and completed, and the importance of the learning of plant description and dynamics by university students, future environmental managers, is specified. Taking into account the strong anthropic action with the consequent destruction of holm oak forests, it is necessary to enhance the knowledge of plant dynamics to decipher the potential vegetation, and to be able to apply the vegetation series as a basis for agronomic and forestry management. In this work, we propose a new vegetation series. We propose the association Aristolochio baeticae-Quercetum rotundifoliae nova for the biogeographic sector Granadino-Almijarense (Montes de Málaga) and as a first dynamic stage of the microforest of Olea europea var. sylvestris obtained by deforestation. The study of the Iberian olive groves allows us to propose two new associations Aristolochio baeticae-Oleetum sylvestris and Ephedro fragilis-Oleetum sylvestris.