Taxus baccata in the Sierra del Aramo (Asturian central Massif)

Abstract

The plant formations with presence of Taxus baccata located in the Sierra del Aramo are analyzed, in particular, the floristic composition of these communities, as well as their distribution and status. The research has been carried out through field work and phytosociological inventories. The relevance of this taxon in the vegetal landscape is revealed, as well as the singularity of some specimens and populations, while at the same time considering the necessary measures to reverse the negative dynamics of some communities in which it participates. On the other hand, the pedoanthracological analysis is tested from two pits made above the upper limit of the forest, in areas that are currently deforested. The results demonstrate the presence of yews in the Aramo since the Bronze Age and corroborate the archaeological findings about the human occupation of the mountains of the Asturian Massif.