Semi-deciduous oak (Quercus faginea) forests of the Central Pyrenees

In many mesic forests in Mediterranean environments, Q. faginea is an important structural component of native plant communities because it provides habitat for a wide diversity of plant and animal communities and, therefore, is of great interest for ecosystem conservation. In spite of the importance of this species, exist few studies compared to other species such as Q. ilex and Fagus sylvatica. In this book we (i) analyzed the effects of abiotic and anthropogenic factors on the distribution of Q. faginea forests in the Central Pyrenees, (ii) examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of Q. faginea forests over period from 1957 to 2006, (iii) assessed the roles of land-use and climate change on the establishment and regeneration dynamics of Q. faginea forests, (iv) studied the organization of plant diversity at multiple spatial scales and identified the environmental factors that might have patterned plant species diversity in human-altered oak forests, and (v) investigated the effects of the previous land management on contemporary plant communities (plant diversity and composition) in the Q. faginea forests of the Central Pyrenees.