Macaronesian Juniperus woodland

Characteristic species). Most of the habitat occupies rocky hillslopes in valleys not higher than 300 m a.s.l, but reaching sporadic very rocky locations and volcano craters and hillsides, up to 1900 m a.s.l. It is found in the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, El Hierro and sporadically in Gran Canaria. Low-altitude versions are in contact, in general, with Phoenix canariensis palm-groves (G2.5b). Regional floristic combinations of dominants (and co-dominants) in the Canaries are: a) Tenerife: J. turbinata subsp. canariensis, Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis, Pistacia atlantica, Hypericum canariense. Contacts with Euphorbia atropurea scrubland can include characteristic plants of the later community: E. atropurpurea, E. lamarkii, Aeonium hahworthii, Retama rhodorhyzoides; b) La Gomera: J. turbinata subsp. canariensis, Brachypodium arbuscula, Jasminum odoratissimum, Euphorbia bertholothii; c) La Palma: J. turbinata subsp. canariensis, Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis, Rubia fruticosa; d) El Hierro: J. turbinata subsp. canariensis, J. odoratissimum, Euphorbia wildepretii, Rubia fruticosa; e) Gran Canaria: Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis but with sporadic J. turbinata subsp. canariensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Bupleurum aciphyllum, Asparagus plocamoides.

2.       Juniperus turbinata subsp. c.f. canariensis habitats of Madeira (Mayteno umbellatae-Oleion maderensis). Very rare habitat of Madeira, in an inacessible single location with a few tens of individuals of juniper in a  NE slope of Madeira Island. The taxononomical status of this juniper is incertain at the subspecies level, but so far it seems to be included in subsp. canariensis. The floristic combination of the community is: Maytenus umbellata, Globularia salicina, Erica arborea subsp. arborea and Helichrysum melaleucum.

3.       Juniperus cedrus subsp. cedrus in the Canaries (Juniperion cedri).  Although J. cedrus subsp. cedrus is found inside Pinus canariensis forests, and is thought to have been abundant there and historically eliminated by cutting, the greatest abundance is nowadays in the shrub communities (also with shrubby individuals of Pinus canariensis) just above the Pinus canariensis timberline, already outside (above) the cloud belt. Thus, we interpret the later ecological situation alone as the habitat G3.9c, being the presence in canarian pinewood secondary. These communities are found in Tenerife mostly from ca. 1900 to 2200 m a.s.l., reaching the Cañadas del Teide, and contacting with Spartocytisus nubigenius (Spartocytision nubigeni)  communities. It occurs also in the external fringe of Taburiente’s crater, in La Palma.  Very isolated occurrences are those in Gran Canaria y La Gomera. These are xerophytic communities in rocky outcrops (lithosols) under upper mesomediterranean to supramediterranean dry to humid bioclimate. Floristic dominants are, in Tenerife: J. cedrus subsp. cedrus, Adenocarpus viscosus, Echium wildpretii and Pterocephalus lasiospermus; in La Palma: J. cedrus subsp. cedrus, Adenocarpus spartioides, Echium trichosyphon and Pterocephalus porphyranthus.

4.       Juniperus cedrus subsp. maderensis habitats of Madeira (Polysticho falcinelli-Ericion canariensis). Rare habitats in the summits of Madeira´s mountains (Pico Ruivo, 1862 m a.s.l.). There is evidence that this small tree used to be much abundant and probably a co-dominant species in the actual tree-heath forest, Polysticho falcinelli-Ericetum canariensis, the community of Erica arborea subsp. canariensis of Madeira above 1.500 m a.s.l., but historically heavily cut for timber and charcoal. Probabily, less than ten individuals remain in the hillsides of Pico Ruivo in inaccessible locations. Dominant in the community are: Juniperus cedrus subsp. maderensis, Erica arborea subsp. canariensis, Erica platycodon subsp. maderincola, Sorbus maderensis (doubtful presence after wildfire in 2011), Polystichum falcinellum, Teucrium francoi.

5.       Juniperus brevifolia habitats of Azores (Culcito macrocarpae-Juniperion brevifoliae). Although Juniperus brevifolia spans the whole of the laurel forest in Azores, Lauro azoricae-Juniperetea brevifoliae vegetation class and associated vegetation (seral stages), its optimum is in the form of a needle-leaved micro- to nano-forest, in the meso- to supratemperate hyperhumid to ultra-hyperhumid bioclimate, on leptosols or deeper andosols with an iron pan layer (placic horizon) usually with a thick acid horizon of organic matter or a thick blanket Sphagnum sp. pl. bog in the ground layer. In this sense, the habitat G3.9c is restricted to the Culcito macrocarpae-Juniperion brevifoliae alliance. It is present in the whole of the Azores Islands. The common characteristics of habitat are (with dominance or co-dominance): Juniperus brevifolia, Myrsine retusa, Viburnum treleasi, Vaccinium cylindraceum, Rubus hoschttetorum, Hypericum foliosum, Myrtus communis, Erica azorica (the later is dominant in Erica azorica-dominated F4.3 habitat type, which is the main contact with G3.9c); other taxa:  Grammitis marginella subsp. azorica, Corema azorica.

Indicators of good quality:

In a general sense, the more coenotically satured, namely by characteristic taxa and the less plants of seral stages co-dominate, the greater integrity of habitat is. Some part of such habitats have been historically cut (many times selectively), grazed or under agriculture. Thus, secondary, or altered versions of it are always found. These are versions of the habitat with less dense woody plant stratum (sometimes a parkland instead of the typical dense community), and where the lower strata have been substituted by zoo-antropogenic vegetation (Cisto monspeliensis- Micromerion hyssopifoliae in the Canaries and Madeira) and neophyte-dominated vegetation (Holcus sp. pl. and Agrostis sp. pl., A. azorica excluded, in the Azores). These degraded versions of habitat have much less conservation value, but potential to ecological restauration.

Characteristic species:

Vascular plants

Subtype 1: J. turbinata subsp. canariensis (dom.), Olea europaea subsp. cerasiformis (dom.) , Rhamnus crenulata (dom.) , Maytenus canariensis (dom.) , Asparagus scoparius, Bupleurum salicifolium, Globularia salicina, Teucrium heterophyllum,  Euphorbia bertholothii, Euphorbia wildpretii, Euphorbia atropurpurea, Pistacia atlantica, P. lentiscus, Hypericum canariensis, Euphorbia lamarkii, Aeonium hahworthii, Retama rhodorhyzoides, Brachypodium arbuscula, Jasminum odoratissimum, Rubia fruticosa, Echium wildpretii, Bupleurum aciphyllum, Asparagus plocamoides, Erysimum bicolor, Anagyris latifolia, Androcybium hierrense, Argyranthemum calychryson, Argyranthemum escarrei, Asparagus umbellatus, Asteriscus sericeus, Bupleurum handiense, Bystropogon plumosus, Convolvulus lopezsocazi, Dorycnium eryophtalmum, Echium purpuriense, E, strictum, E. giganteum, Marcetella moquiniana, Ruta pinnata, Sideritis brevicaulis, Sideritis pumila, Spartocytisus filipes, Teline osyrioides subsp. sericea, Vicia cirrhosa.

Subtype 2 : Maytenus umbellata (dom.), Globularia salicina (dom.), Erica arborea subsp. arborea (dom.), Erica platycodon subsp. maderincola, Helichrysum melaleucum.

Subtype 3: Juniperus cedrus subsp. cedrus, Adenocarpus viscosus, Echium wildpretii, Pterocephalus lasiospermus, Adenocarpus spartioides, Echium trichosyphon, Pterocephalus porphyranthus, Pinus canariensis (shrub), Andryala teydensis, Bufonia paniculata, Carlina xeranthemoides, Erysimum scoparium, Nepeta teydea, Scrophularia glabrata, Sideritis oroteneriffae, Chamaecytisus calderae, Chamaecytisus proliferus subsp. hierrensis, Echium auberianum, Echium trichosyphon, Echium wildpretii.

Subtype 4: Juniperus cedrus subsp. maderensis, Erica arborea subsp. canariensis, Erica platycodon subsp. maderincola, Sorbus maderensis, Polystichum falcinellum, VacciniumTeucrium francoi, Polystichum x maderensis, Ranunculus cortusifolius var. minor.

Subtype 5: Juniperus brevifolia (dom.) , Myrsine retusa, Viburnum treleasi, Vaccinium cylindraceum, Rubus hoschttetorum, Hypericum foliosum, Erica azorica, Arceuthobium azoricum, Bellis azorica, Carex hochstetteriana, Cerastium vagans, Culcita macrocarp,  Dryopteris azorica, Dryopteris crispifolia, Elaphoglossum semicylindricum, Hedera azorica, Platanthera grex ‘micrantha’, Smilax divaricata, Euphrasia grandiflora, Euphorbia stygiana, Vaccinium cylindraceum, Rubia agostinhoi (non R. agostinhoi sensu auct. mad et iber. = R. occidens; Rubia agostinhoi is a strict azorean endemism).