JBCLM | 2010-2025
40. Supramediterranean Betic holm oak forests
Holm oak forests that grow in the eastern Betic mountain ranges from 1000 m altitude.
At higher elevations in the pre-Baetic sierras of Alcaraz and Segura, above 1000 m, calcareous holm oak forests enter the supramediterranean belt, characterised by colder winters and greater annual precipitation. Although sharing some species with mesomediterranean Betic holm oak woodlands (e.g., terebinth and laurustinus), their flora includes distinctive montane elements such as the tree honeysuckle (Lonicera arborea), the endemic hawthorn Crataegus laciniata, barberry (Berberis vulgaris subsp. australis), and Granada thyme (Thymus granatensis). Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) and false brome (Brachypodium phoenicoides) also occur. These montane holm oak forests often border stands of black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. salzmannii) and, on the most exposed ridges, spiny cushion shrublands composed of species such as Erinacea anthyllis, Echinospartum boissieri, and Hormathophylla spinosa. All these species are represented in the Garden’s collection.
The historical extent of the supramediterranean Betic holm oak forest has declined markedly due to overexploitation, overgrazing, and reforestation—mainly favouring maritime pine (Pinus pinaster).
