Quercus Coccifera - Distribution

Distribution

It is an important part of the mediterranean bush or dwarf vegetation, to which often it gives name (Maquis, Maquis shrubland, Coscojar, Garrigue, Carrascal, Chaparral, Scrubland, etc); The garrigue habitat is sometimes replacing other oak's habitat when oaks are burned, cutted, felled or degraded. Quercus coccifera form monospecific communities or communities integrated with Pinus, mediterranean buckthorns, Myrtus, Arecaceae, junipers, Pistacia, Rosmarinus, Thymus etc.

It is located for almost all the Mediterranean Sea coast, especially in west and southern and eastern halves, missing almost always on elevated and inland regions, with the exception of the semi-arid interior of the Ebro Valley (200 m above sea level) where it is the dominant species. Very scattered and separated populations on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea mostly from Portugal, Northern Africa to Turkey. In Italy in some islands and the southernest tip: the Taranto peninsula. In the Mediterranean Islands, Dalmatians, Balears, Sardinia, Sicily, Creta, Chipre and lesser Greek islands (not in Corcega). It is common in Crete and can survive heavy sheep and goat grazing for long periods as a ground carpet a few centimeters high. The same in islands of Mallorca, Ibiza and the Iberian peninsula.

It is called Chêne des Garrigues (Garrigue oak) in French.

The term garrigue; comes from Catalan or Occitan for Garric (meaning twisted) the name for Quercus coccifera in those languages.

The spanish language term chaparro, meaning stunted comes from the Basque (Txaparro) with the same meaning. Its common spanish name chaparro, refers to its small size, a feature it shares with others species in their habitat, and Mediterranean climate not related species in other parts of the world, such as the chaparral communities from various parts of the Americas.