Characterization and classification of caespitose acidophilous pastures of South-west Europe (Festucetea indigestae class)

This paper studies the caespitose perennial pastures of acidophilous character belonging to the Festucetea indigestae class in South-west Europe. The survey deals with a total of 33 associations included in this class. While some of these have a climactic significance in the Iberian high mountains, others occurring at lower altitudes have a serial character. All the synthetic tables of the associations included in the class have been examined by means of hierarchical clustering (SPSS 5.11). The survey not only includes the analysis of the floristic composition, altitudinal distribution of the syntaxa and their chorological distribution, but also the analysis of the spectra of biological types occurring in all the associations and higher ranks. The survey ends with a taxonomical classification of the class that includes the description of a new association.