2006-2007
Fundació Territori i Paisatge
Ninot Sugrañes, Josep M. (IP). Batriu Vila, Efrem. Carrillo Ortuño, Amparo. Ferré Codina, Albert. Mercadé López, Arnau. Pérez Haase, Aaron.


A study on the natural Systems of Planes de Son and Mata de València (Catalan Pyrenees): vascular flora and vegetation

The main project included a broad set of sub-projects, aimed to various naturalistic aspects: catalogues of flora and fauna, geology, landscape, etc. Its goal was to obtain a pluridisciplinar, coordinate knowledge referred to a small (some 3.000 ha) though interesting Pyrenean area, which holds a great altitude range (1.170 m), including four vegetation belts. The available information was poor, although the area is included in the buffer zone of the National Park Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. Precise data on flora and vegetation were very few, and the landscape was only reflected in general vegetation maps (1 : 50.000).

The result of the floristic study was a catalogue including 1,026 taxa at the species or subspecies levels, and gives concise information on their distribution and frequency. The variety of grasslands include one third of the flora, about 30% of taxa are specific of stressing habitats (water related or rocky), and 16% thrive in ruderal or disturbed sites. Biogeographically, most of the flora is medio-European (39% of taxa) or Alpine s.l. (27% of taxa are Pyrenean, Alpine or Boreo-alpine). The role of Mediterranean and submediterranean groups is clearly smaller (6% and 5% of taxa, respectively).

The vegetation study begins with the habitats map, at the scale 1:25,000, with 79 habitats from the CORINE system, which are briefly discussed in a legend. The area is distributed into 216 patches, each bearing one, two or three habitats. Other habitats covering very small surfaces have been represented as dots. The European Union Habitats have been also included in the cartography. For the naturalistic evaluation of the landscape we used six attributes referred to vegetation and the threat level of the habitats. The combination of the discrete values given to each habitat (attributes and threat level) allowed us to produce a map of naturalistic interest. In it, the most valued areas became concentrated mainly in the alpine belt –which includes several rare habitats and endemic plants– and in the lowest areas –bearing riverine forests and dry pastures. The water-related habitats obtained also high values.


Research field:
Floristics and Taxonomy
Vegetation mapping


Project results: