Existing vegetation in the Pinus pinaster Aiton pinewoods in Castilla-La Mancha is characterized by 110 floristic releves proportionally distributed in the region. These releves have been grouped into 10 homogeneous tables according to their floristic composition which define an alike number of pinewood variants. Likewise, the biogeographic sector, the bioclimatic belt, the substratum type and the depth of the soil corresponding to each releve, have proved most useful to establish such groups. Five of the resulting variants are situated on Buntsandstein sandstones of the Northern half of this region, four of them with optimum in the supramediterranean bioclimatic belt of the Celtiberian-AIcarrean sector, and the rest in the mesomediterranean Maestracensean. Three of the variants are characteristic of limestones and dolomites of the Subbetic sector, whereas the other two share more than one sector. The most frequent brush species on siliceous substrate are Cistus laurifolius, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica and Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (supramediterranean belt), C. ladanifer (mesomediterranean), and Erica scoparia, Calluna vulgaris and Lavandula stoechas subsp. pedunculata on both belts. However, Rosmarinus officinalis, Genista scorpius and Lavandula latifolia are found on limestone Substrates. The presence of several threatened species and protected plant communities is highlighted, as is the importance of these pinewoods being managed and handled to guarantee their conservation. Among such management measures, the possibility of transforming a part of the existing pinewoods on the deep, humid and shady soils is recommended to create formations of Quercus pyrenaica, Q. faginea subsp. faginea or Q. Ilex subsp. ballota. This process could be accelerated through appropriate thinning treatments aimed at conversion to high forest.
