Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) forests and woodlands have been considered as a paradigm for Mediterrainean terrestrial ecosystems. In the western part of the Mediterranean Basin, these forests and woodlands occupy large areas and thus play a very important role in the landscape. A number of research projects from the Centre of d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), the Centre de Recerna Ecologica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), and from many other laboratories are currently focusing on Q. ilex ecosystems, and a number of problems have appeared concerning not only basic knowledge but also...

Holm oak (Quercus ilex L.) forests and woodlands have been considered as a paradigm for Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems. In the western part of the Mediterranean Basin, these forests and woodlands occupy large areas and thus play a very important role in the landscape. A number of research projects from the Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), the Centre de Recerca Ecologica i Aplicacions Forestals (CREAF), and from many other laboratories are currently focusing on Q. ilex ecosystems, and a number of problems have appeared concerning not only basic knowledge but also...

This volume contains most of the contributions presented at the Symposium on Vegetation dynamics in grasslands, heathlands, and mediterranean ligneous formations, which took place at the Centre d'Etudes Phytosociologiques et Ecologiques 'Louis Emberger' (locally organized by the Department of General Ecology and the Directory Staff of this institute) at Montpellier. It was organized by the Working Group for Succession research on permanent plots, and the Working Group for Data-processing in phytosociology, both of the International Society for Vegetation Science. The editors of this volume...