JBCLM | 2010-2025
41. Celtiberian-Alcarrian holm oak forest (Cuenca and Guadalajara)
Holm oak groves with a simplified structure, typical of the Alcarria region and nearby moorlands.
Across a wide altitudinal range (meso- and supramediterranean bioclimatic belts), in the natural regions of the Alcarria Alta, northern and eastern parameras of Guadalajara, and some nearby siliceous mountain areas, this type of holm oak woodland develops under strongly continental climatic conditions. These conditions lead to a simplified structure, with fewer tall shrubs and lianas.
In the Botanical Garden recreation, the tree layer includes Spanish juniper (Juniperus thurifera) and black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. nigra) alongside the holm oak. The shrub layer is dominated by low Mediterranean scrub: Spanish sage (Salvia lavandulifolia), Sideritis spinulosa, S. hirsuta, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), Marrubium supinum, Thymus zygis, and perennial herbs such as white asphodel (Asphodelus albus).
