Bryophyte vegetation in the sierras of Filabres, Cabrera, Alhamilla and Cabo de Gata (Almeria, southeast Spain).

The bryophyte vegetation of the Almeria Province (SE Spain) has been studie d according to the Braun-Blanquet method. Twenty-nine communities have been recognized, of which four are aquatic (classes Montio-Cardaminetea Braun-B lanquet st Tuxen 1943 and Platyhypnidio-Fontinalietea antipyreticae Philipp i 1956), five terricolous acidophilous (classes Ceratodonto-Polytrichetea p iliferi Mohan 1978 and Dicranelletea heteromallae Mohan 1978), 15 terricolo us basiphilous (class Barbuletea unguiculatae Mohan 1978), four saxicolous (classes Racomitrietea heterostichi Neumayr 1971, Grimmietea anodontis Hada c & Vondracek in Jezek & Vondracek 1962 and Neckeretea complanatae Marstall er 1986) and one epiphytic (class Frullanio-Leucodontetea sciuroidis Mohan 1978 emend. Marstaller 1985). Three associations have been described as new : Rhizomnio punctati-Fissidentetum taxifolii (meso-hygrophilous, sciophilou s, terri-humicolous, edaphically indifferent, on slopes dose to running wat er), Plagiochasmo rupestris-Athalamietum spathysii (xerophilous, photo-scio philous, chasmo-comophytic, basiphilous, in deep cavities of volcanic and s edimentary rocks) and Homalothecio aurei-Scleropodietum touretii (meso-xero philous, photo-sciophilous, terricolous, edaphically indifferent, in rocks and humiferous slopes). Studies of the dynamics of the communities were und ertaken. (C) 2000 Adac/Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.