Olea europaea-Ceratonia siliqua woodland

This habitat includes woodland dominated by arborescent Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Ceratonia siliqua, Pistacia lentiscus, Myrtus communis or, in the Canary Islands, by Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis and Pistacia atlantica. It is closely related to the habitat type F5.1/2 Mediterranean maquis and arborescent matorral and, in fact, only a few stands have a sufficiently tall, closed canopy to qualify as this woodland type. All formations occur in the thermo-Mediterranean zone, or the thermo-Canarian for the Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis type. The most typical example of the Olea europaea var. sylvestris-dominated formations with Ceratonia siliqua and Pistacia lentiscus are found in the northern Tunisia (Djebel Ichkeul) and in southern Andalusia (Tamo communis-Oleetum sylvestris, extinct?), in Menorca (Prasio majoris-Oleetum sylvestris), Sardinia, Sicily, Calabria and Crete. Some carob-dominated facies of the previous unit in Djebel Ichkeul (Tunisia) from the most typical example of the Ceratonia siliqua-dominated formations, often with Olea europaea var. sylvestris and Pistacia lentiscus. Carob-dominated formations are also found in Mallorca (Cneoro tricocci-Ceratonietum siliquae), in eastern Sardinia, in southeastern Sicily, in Puglia, in South Greece, Crete, in northeastern Algeria and in Cyrenaica. The use of these forests as agropastoral systems in some regions results in a physiognomy similar to the dehesas.

Indicators of quality:

• Natural composition and intact woodland canopy                                          
• Vigorous regeneration of typical woody species
• Structural diversity/ complexity with (semi)natural age structure or completeness of layers with a considerable number of carob- and/or olive-tree individuals at the tree layer
• Typical flora and fauna composition of the region
• Presence of old trees and a variety of dead wood (lying or standing) and the associated flora, fauna and fungi
• Presence of natural disturbance such as treefall openings with natural regeneration
• Long historical continuity (ancient woodland) with high species diversity
• Survival of larger stands of forest without anthropogenic fragmentation and isolation (to support fauna which need large undisturbed forests)
• Absence of ruderal, invasive and planted non-native species in all layers (flora & fauna)
• Absence of signs of disturbances (either rare or of low intensity)
• Low levels of soil compactness, absence of trampling and erosion and well developed A_h horizon as good indicators for the lack of overgrazing.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats