Distribution of natural stands of "pedunculate" and "rebollo" oaks in Galicia

Resumen

This work has studied the distribution of the two oaks that occupy the majority of Galicia (NW Spain), "carballo" (Quercus robur L.) and "rebollo" (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.), beginning with the characterization of the sites occupying the natural stands of both species and the use of the TWINSPAN. It was based on the estimate of 25 ecological parameters (i.e. topography, climatic, and edaphic) through the sampling of 39 "carballo" plots and of 40 "rebollo" plots. The findings highlight the distribution of oaks is related, principally, with the climatic and topographical attributes of the territory, and to a smaller extent, with the possible edaphic determining factors. It was necessary to seek silvicultural alternatives in order to obtain more profitable economic production rather than the ones obtained presently in these forests, such as conversion to high forest, the improvement of silvopastoral or the restoration of degraded stands through reforestation with other broadleaves.