Macaronesian laurophyllous woodland

Evergreen lauriphyllous forests with a very rich and luxuriant associated flora and fauna typical of the humid to hyper-humid, frost-free, mist-bound cloud belt of the Macaronesian islands.  So-called ‘Atlantic rain forest’, this habitat forms the most complex and remarkable relict of the humid sub-tropical vegetation of the Miocene-Pliocene period in southern Europe.  Occurring at 500-1500m, it is typical of slopes with deep soils kept permanently moist by rain and fog-drip. Humidity tends to decline from north to south among these archipelagos but, particularly on Madeira and the more westerly Canary Islands, more dramatic topography has a strong influence on the local climatic conditions. 

In contrast to the G2.7 Macaronesian heathy woodlands which are dominated by shrubby ericaceous plants, the canopy here is composed of laurel-leaved trees and shrubs, many of them ancient endemics to the islands.  The canopy of these highly productive woodlands can reach over 30m with some of the tree species suckering over and again to produce dense multi-stemmed individuals.  There can be up to 20 different tree species in a few hectares, prominent among them Laurus azorica, L. novocanariensis, Myrica faya, Ocotea foetens, Persea indica, Apollonias barbujana, Clethra arborea, Erica arborea, E. azorica, Ilex canariensis, I. perado ssp. azorica, I. perado ssp. perado, Isoplexis canariensis, Ixanthus viscosus, Picconia azorica and P. excelsa.  In general, these laurel forests also have more climbing plants, ferns and epiphytic mosses than the Macaronesian heaths. The lush bryophyte cover, including some liverworts, is important in intercepting and retaining atmospheric moisture.   

The woodlands show variation according to the local climatic conditions, sub-humid forms favouring southern slopes within areas of 500mm annual precipitation and little influence of the cloud-belt (eg. the Visneo-Apollonion and Canarian Ixantho-Laurion); humid types with precipitation of up to 1200mm, sunshine and temperature lessened by fogs (eg. Azorean Dryopterido-Laurion); and the hyper-humid with precipitation over 1500mm and permanent fogs, conditions typical of mountains of Madeira and the Azores (eg. the Sibthorpio-Clethrion).  Local endemism also means that particular islands can have a highly distinctive character and, in some places, degradation and invasion of introduced taxa like Pittosporum undulatum affects the floristic composition (as in the Myrico-Pittosporion of coastal slopes on the Azores).

Indicators of quality:

Particularly at lower altitudes and on less difficult terrain, areas of intact laurel forests have been drastically reduced by forest exploitation in clear-cutting for charcoal, tool-making and compost production, by planting of replacement forests of commercial timber trees; or by dairy-cattle grazing which hinders regeneration and causes eutrophication.  Road construction through forests also allows the spread of invading species. Signs of high quality in remaining stands are:

• the continuance of structural and floristic integrity of the forest vegetation without secondary regeneration after interventions or the dense growth that develops with abandonment of operations
• survival of larger stands of forest without fragmentation and isolation
• absence of damage from fires, particularly threatening in the sub-humid Canarian forests, with death of older hollow trees, consumption of deadwood and litter and development of combustible pioneer vegetation afterwards
• absence of introduced invaders such as Pittosporum undulatum, Hedychium gardnerianum, Clethra arborea (an endemic but cultivated as an ornamental), particularly threatening on the Azores and Madeira.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats