Conservation status of thermomediterranean cork-oak forest in the province of Huelva

Resumen

The province of Huelva is placed in southwest of Iberian Peninsula. In biogeographycal terms, it belongs to Mediterranean Region. Two provinces can be described: Lusitan-Andalusian coastal and Mediterranean Iberian Occidental, which correspond to coastal area (South) and continental area (North) respectively. Two hioclimatological thermotypes can be detected: mesomediterranean and thermomediterranean thermotypes. Oleo ,sylvestris-Querceto suberis S. is cork-oak forest vegetation series described in the thermomediterranean thermotypes in the province of Huelva. The main goal of our study is to evaluate the conservation status of these cork-oak forests by mean of comparison to described potential distribution in Vegetation Series of Spain. This study is being developed in the framework of a more extended research project, named "Forest ecosystems vegetation cartography at 1:10.000 scale of the province of Huelva", and financed by Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Junta de Andalucia). The description of vegetation is based on phytocoenological inventories that allow us to evaluate the present vegetation in the territory. Preliminary results indicate that the distribution area of thermomediterranean cork-oak series has been reduced along time due to forest and agricultural exploitation. Broad extensions of reforestation, mainly with pines (Pinus pinea) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.), and intensive strawberry cultures are dominant in the area. The obtained results indicate that thermomediterranean cork oak forest has been reduced to residual areas, which structure are highly disturbed when comparing to the theoretical natural distribution and structure. Some areas are being recovered by means of reforesting programmes with cork-oak specimens in order to mitigate the negative effect of exploitation of one of the most important forests in the province of Huelva.