Syntaxonomy and Synecology of Quercus coccifera Mediterranean Shrublands in Greece

Abstract

Quercus coccifera (kermes oak) is the most common species of the Mediterranean maquis with a wide distribution across the Mediterranean Basin. This paper presents a syntaxonomic overview of the Q. coccifera plant communities in the Mediterranean zone of Greece (Quercetea ilicis) based on the classification of 221 releves from 34 (17 continental and 17 insular) mountainous areas throughout Greece. Two associations and eight sub-associations are described and presented in a synoptic constancy table. Querco cocciferae–Pistacietum lentisci is the most widespread, is found in the entire continental Greece and most islands, and is further subdivided into five sub-associations reflecting primarily local peculiarities in the disturbance regime and the influence of local floristic elements. Rhamno lycioidis–Cocciferetum (Rivas Goday & Rivas-Martinez 1954), on the other hand, is geographically confined on the island of Crete and is further subdivided into three sub-associations, reflecting differences in the annual precipitation, and they are characterized by the presence of many phryganic and grazing-resistant species. Climate and the anthropogenic pressure have been identified to be the most important factors determining the structure and the floristic composition of Q. coccifera Mediterranean shrublands of Greece.