Vegetal cover of the Chafari Valley (Las Cañadas del Teide, Tenerife) before the castellan’s conquest

Abstract

The study of charcoal fragments from the site of Chafari, seasonal settlement, located in Las Cañadas del Teide (Tenerife) show some change in the plant composition. As far as XIII century, Spartocytisus supranubius and Adenocarpus viscosus dominate the landscape in association with Juniperus cedrus, Chamaecytisus proliferus subsp. angustifolius and Pinus canariensis. This plant communities present a great similitude with the potential vegetation of this area. From this date, a chage in the plant composition occured, we observe a disminution of the shrub Spartocytisus supranubius and trees (Jiniperus cedrus, Pinus canariensis) and an augmentation of Adenocarpus viscosus and Chamaecytisus proliferus subsp. angustifolius wich are good forage. This transformation of the vegetation can be the result of the intensification of grazing in this area, between XIV and XVI centuries.