Fayal-brezal
As the
mist caused by the trade winds begins to clear – due to greater altitude or
a change in the north-south aspect of the slopes – environmental conditions
gradually change: air and soil humidity decrease, the amount of sunshine
increases, and strong winds are quite common. These factors lead to the
gradual disappearance of the laurel forest and the emergence of a new plant
community, directly related to the former but with its own distinctive
characteristics. This is the fayal-brezal, a woodland formation found in the
transition zones between the humid, warm areas of the laurel forest and the
cooler, xerophytic areas of the pine forest.
The optimal conditions for this vegetation type are found at altitudes of between 500 and 1,000 metres, on north- and north-east-facing slopes, although in some areas it can reach altitudes of up to 1,700 metres above sea level. Very often, fayal-brezal forest is found occupying the most degraded areas of the laurel forest and pine forest, either as a result of fires or, more frequently, due to excessive logging carried out in the past. These forests are usually very difficult to navigate, as their shrub layer is very dense and their undergrowth very tangled.
At present, the finest examples of the fayal-brezal vegetation are found in Hermigua and Agulo on La Gomera, Las Mercedes and Anaga on Tenerife, the eastern slope of Cumbre Nueva on La Palma, and the peaks of El Golfo on El Hierro.
The Canarian fayal-brezal is a type of vegetation that bears a strong resemblance to similar formations in other parts of the world, such as those found in certain tropical mountains of Africa, specific areas of South Africa, and subtropical regions of India, China, Sumatra and Java, amongst others.
Flora
As the fayal-brezal forest is found in areas that are too dry for the laurel forest, the plant community that makes it up is characterised by its own distinctive morphological features, particularly the smaller size of its tree species and the reduced size of the leaves compared with those of the laurel forest, which is most evident in the tiny, needle-like leaves of the heather and yew, two of the dominant species in this community.
In the fayal-brezal forest, the species are less demanding than in the laurel forest and have a wider ecological range, forming a more open type of forest with less species diversity; the tree layer is dominated by the beech (Morella faya), tree heath (Erica arborea) and yew (Erica platycodon), with the Canary Island holly (Ilex canariensis) and the laurel or ‘loro’ (Laurus novocanariensis) occurring less frequently.
In addition, there are isolated occurrences of certain species typical of the drier areas of the laurel forest, such as the white stick (Picconia excelsa), the barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the mocán (Visnea mocanera), the strawberry tree (Arbutus canariensis), the sanguino (Rhamnus glandulosa), the palo blanco (Picconia excelsa), the hija (Prunus lusitanica spp. hixa), etc.
The undergrowth is very species-poor, as the dense canopy of the fayal-brezal allows very little light to reach the ground. Among the herbaceous and shrubby species that can be found in the more open areas are the wild blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), the large-leaved St John’s wort (Hypericum grandifolium), the Montpellier rockrose (Cistus monspeliensis), the tree-leaved Gesnouinia (Gesnouinia arborea), the stiff-stemmed viburnum (Viburnum rigidum), the sneezewort (Andryala webbi), the paper-leaved Pericallis (Pericallis papyracea), the mountain violet (Viola riviniana), etc. Two ferns are also commonly found: Pteridium aquilinum and Asplenium onopteris.
Fauna
The fayal-brezal shares much of its fauna with that of the laurisilva, with birds being the best-represented group of vertebrates, and insects and molluscs the best-represented groups of invertebrates.
Among birds of prey, the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are common, whilst the common sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) are rarer. The most abundant insectivorous birds are usually the blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), the robin (Erithacus rubecula), the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), the blue tit (Parus caeruleus) and the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). The woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) scurries through the undergrowth; this nocturnal and crepuscular bird is very elusive and difficult to spot due to its habit of hiding and its camouflage.
Among the invertebrates, the Carabidae family stands out: ground-dwelling, predatory beetles with an extremely high level of species diversity in this and other types of habitat. The family includes a large number of endemic species, often local in distribution, each highly specialised to the microhabitat it occupies. They vary greatly in size, ranging from the small Trechus and Cymindis, which are common in wooded fayal and heathland, through the Calathus and Broscus genera, to the larger, rarer and more striking Carabus species, which are somewhat more common in areas with a certain amount of stony ground mixed with leaf litter.
The optimal conditions for this vegetation type are found at altitudes of between 500 and 1,000 metres, on north- and north-east-facing slopes, although in some areas it can reach altitudes of up to 1,700 metres above sea level. Very often, fayal-brezal forest is found occupying the most degraded areas of the laurel forest and pine forest, either as a result of fires or, more frequently, due to excessive logging carried out in the past. These forests are usually very difficult to navigate, as their shrub layer is very dense and their undergrowth very tangled.
At present, the finest examples of the fayal-brezal vegetation are found in Hermigua and Agulo on La Gomera, Las Mercedes and Anaga on Tenerife, the eastern slope of Cumbre Nueva on La Palma, and the peaks of El Golfo on El Hierro.
The Canarian fayal-brezal is a type of vegetation that bears a strong resemblance to similar formations in other parts of the world, such as those found in certain tropical mountains of Africa, specific areas of South Africa, and subtropical regions of India, China, Sumatra and Java, amongst others.
Flora
As the fayal-brezal forest is found in areas that are too dry for the laurel forest, the plant community that makes it up is characterised by its own distinctive morphological features, particularly the smaller size of its tree species and the reduced size of the leaves compared with those of the laurel forest, which is most evident in the tiny, needle-like leaves of the heather and yew, two of the dominant species in this community.
In the fayal-brezal forest, the species are less demanding than in the laurel forest and have a wider ecological range, forming a more open type of forest with less species diversity; the tree layer is dominated by the beech (Morella faya), tree heath (Erica arborea) and yew (Erica platycodon), with the Canary Island holly (Ilex canariensis) and the laurel or ‘loro’ (Laurus novocanariensis) occurring less frequently.
In addition, there are isolated occurrences of certain species typical of the drier areas of the laurel forest, such as the white stick (Picconia excelsa), the barbusano (Apollonias barbujana), the mocán (Visnea mocanera), the strawberry tree (Arbutus canariensis), the sanguino (Rhamnus glandulosa), the palo blanco (Picconia excelsa), the hija (Prunus lusitanica spp. hixa), etc.
The undergrowth is very species-poor, as the dense canopy of the fayal-brezal allows very little light to reach the ground. Among the herbaceous and shrubby species that can be found in the more open areas are the wild blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius), the large-leaved St John’s wort (Hypericum grandifolium), the Montpellier rockrose (Cistus monspeliensis), the tree-leaved Gesnouinia (Gesnouinia arborea), the stiff-stemmed viburnum (Viburnum rigidum), the sneezewort (Andryala webbi), the paper-leaved Pericallis (Pericallis papyracea), the mountain violet (Viola riviniana), etc. Two ferns are also commonly found: Pteridium aquilinum and Asplenium onopteris.
Fauna
The fayal-brezal shares much of its fauna with that of the laurisilva, with birds being the best-represented group of vertebrates, and insects and molluscs the best-represented groups of invertebrates.
Among birds of prey, the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) are common, whilst the common sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) are rarer. The most abundant insectivorous birds are usually the blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), the robin (Erithacus rubecula), the goldcrest (Regulus regulus), the blue tit (Parus caeruleus) and the chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). The woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) scurries through the undergrowth; this nocturnal and crepuscular bird is very elusive and difficult to spot due to its habit of hiding and its camouflage.
Among the invertebrates, the Carabidae family stands out: ground-dwelling, predatory beetles with an extremely high level of species diversity in this and other types of habitat. The family includes a large number of endemic species, often local in distribution, each highly specialised to the microhabitat it occupies. They vary greatly in size, ranging from the small Trechus and Cymindis, which are common in wooded fayal and heathland, through the Calathus and Broscus genera, to the larger, rarer and more striking Carabus species, which are somewhat more common in areas with a certain amount of stony ground mixed with leaf litter.
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