Iberian summer pasture (vallicar)

This habitat comprises dense medium to tall grasslands growing in the lowlands and at moderate elevations up to 1500m on siliceous rocks with sandy to clayey oligotrophic soils in the Mediterranean and sub-mediterranean western Iberian Peninsula. The drainage conditions are good to poor and there can be temporary flooding with rapid desiccation afterwards. This is largely a semi-natural habitat type, linked to traditional cattle husbandry management.

The grasslands are dense and dominated by tall perennial grasses (vallicos) and annual species such as clovers, which have been traditionally grazed and sometimes mown. Waterlogging in the soil causes dominance of Agrostis pourretii and Agrostis castellana (alliance Agrostion castellanae), while free drainage favours dominance of Festuca elegans subsp. elegans, Festuca elegans subsp. merinoi (alliance Festucion merinoi) or Stipa gigantea (alliance Agrostio-Stipion giganteae), depending on the region and environmental conditions.

Indicators of quality:

• Dominance of grasses in a dense, carpet-like sward

• High plant species diversity

• Few or no open spots due to overgrazing or the use of machinery

• Absence of shrubs, particularly brooms, indicating initial stages of succession towards shrubland

• Absence of nitrophilous plants indicating overgrazing and over-fertilizing

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats