JBCLM | 2010-2026

Holm oak woodlands below 900 m represent the potential vegetation of large areas of La Mancha and parts of Guadalajara, with annual rainfall between 350 and 550 mm. Today, their extent is greatly reduced due to historical conversion to farmland.

These forests are dominated by the holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota), known locally as carrasca. This sclerophyllous tree bears hard, flat, evergreen leaves—an adaptation to the Mediterranean climate that enhances photosynthetic efficiency and regulates transpiration during summer drought.

The holm oak has historically provided essential resources throughout the Mediterranean: dense, high-calorific wood for fuel and charcoal; durable timber for tools and agricultural equipment; tannins used in leather tanning; and acorns, traditionally consumed raw or roasted, used in flour production, and widely eaten by livestock. Acorns are also a critical food source for many wild animals (jays, cranes, squirrels, mice, wild boar, insects), playing a fundamental role in trophic networks.

To recreate this ecosystem, typical shrubs of the Manchegan sclerophyllous woodland have been interplanted with the holm oak, including kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), Mediterranean buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), honeysuckle (Lonicera implexa), broom (Retama sphaerocarpa), wild jasmine (Jasminum fruticans), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), rockroses (Cistus albidus, C. clusii), and Phlomis lychnitis.