Geography of plants of Western La Alcarria and “Mesa” of Ocaña (II). Phytoecological and life forms indigenous flora analysis in five representative space tracts

Abstract

Biological spectra analysis initiated in a previous paper (García-Abad, 2009, Part I) is continued here. Floristic inventories are carried out during one agricultural year (2002-03) in five 1 km²-U.T.M. grid squares. These space tracts form a representative transect in Western La Alcarria and “Mesa” of Ocaña (AM). This Part II is about the phytoecological and life forms spectra. Since the both spaces are nested local spectra could be related to the spectra of AM region. Besides providing a quantitative description of the flora, the outcomes allow to made phytogeographical and geoecological interpretations. Almost a fourth part of AM’s flora corresponds to weeds, ruderals and plants that grow on other open sites, being their percentages higher in analyzed five localities. Despite the life forms spectrum shows a clear top position of the terophytes, the perennial plants dominate extensively ones. Finally, the relevancy of the 1 km²-U.T.M. grid square to study the geography of the plants is valued.