Article

While many scientific studies have been developed at the wide territory of Doñana area (SW Spain) which extends in Huelva and Sevilla provinces, especially at the Doñana Biological Reserve, Doñana National Park and parts of Doñana Natural Park, very little attention has been paid to the area covered by the Natural Park in Cádiz province (“Monte Algaida”), at the other side of Guadalquivir river. Monte Algaida covers a band of aeolian sands developed over a sedimentary clay substrate. A study of this area has shown that it is covered by seven woody vegetation units: juniper woodlands; “monte blanco”, a scrubland dominated by Halimium halimifolium; “Lentiscar”, a scrubland dominated by Pistacia lentiscus; scrublands dominated by Corema album; Tamarix formations, and in more reduced proportion some formations of Populus alba and herbaceous communities dominated by Juncaceae. An interesting herbaceous community has been detected and analyzed. Floristic composition of the woody vegetation units of “Monte Algaida” is analyzed in comparison with the same units in Huelva province. This shows that plant communities at “Monte Algaida” are rather degraded and are in clear regression, owed, most probably, to the lack of new sand input by wind from the coast, and mainly to antropic pressure.