Table 1 Characteristics of the novel forest patches. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error for tree height, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf N and herbivory. PhQi, mixed P. halepensis-Q. ilex forests and QpQi, mixed Q. pubsecens-Q. ilex forests. B.A, basal area

PhQi

4.1

13.1

180

24.1

251

3730

3332

89.3

45.9

15.0

7.1 ± 0.52

73.4 ± 1.7

1.61 ± 0.03

7.2 ± 0.78

PhQi

9.9

18.4

115

17.8

230

3879

3084

79.5

85.7

25.2

6.2 ± 0.28

78.9 ± 1.9

1.62 ± 0.02

4.9 ± 0.64

QpQi

4.5

21.6

30

34.2

255

1890

1343

71.1

41.4

5.9

7.3 ± 0.40

70.7 ± 1.7

1.61 ± 0.02

4.6 ± 0.60

PhQi

2.8

19.4

145

20.1

242

2835

2537

89.5

39.5

9.5

5.4 ± 0.20

58.9 ± 1.3

1.78 ± 0.03

3.0 ± 0.51

PhQi

1.3

25.1

165

40.2

283

497

448

90.0

17.2

8.6

6.2 ± 0.23

55.5 ± 1.7

1.68 ± 0.04

2.4 ± 0.39

PhQi

4.4

17.4

200

5, 3

325

1542

1293

83.9

55.9

6.5

5.7 ± 0.26

72.4 ± 1.9

1.85 ± 0.03

3.7 ± 0.44

PhQi

4.0

25.5

285

40, 2

350

2039

1691

82.9

38.3

24.1

7.4 ± 0.35

80.3 ± 2.3

1.81 ± 0.04

5.5 ± 0.64

QpQi

5.2

11.8

90

23.1

392

2636

2188

83.0

50.6

25.8

7.3 ± 0.24

75.1 ± 2.0

1.72 ± 0.03

5.7 ± 0.52

QpQi

3.6

27.5

40

20.1

315

1442

1094

75.9

27.3

19.4

7.3 ± 0.27

66.1 ± 2.1

1.60 ± 0.02

3.3 ± 0.46

QpQi

3.0

21.5

45

27, 2

297

1840

1592

86.5

26.9

23.7

7.3 ± 0.33

65.9 ± 1.6

1.65 ± 0.04

4.7 ± 0.51

QpQi

2.7

19.7

35

25, 2

294

1492

1044

70.0

24.3

18.1

7.2 ± 0.26

72.6 ± 1.8

1.64 ± 0.03

4.3 ± 0.55

QpQi

6.2

31.5

340

27, 2

294

3233

2586

80.0

38.2

30.2

6.9 ± 0.35

64.2 ± 2.1

1.59 ± 0.03

5.0 ± 0.57

PhQi

5.2

27.4

250

13.9

597

2437

1542

63.3

54.0

14.6

6.9 ± 0.35

67.9 ± 1.4

1.59 ± 0.04

3.5 ± 0.37

PhQi

6.6

22.7

135

10, 6

595

547

398

72.7

33.8

2.2

6.4 ± 0.24

59.1 ± 1.4

1.54 ± 0.04

5.2 ± 0.54

QpQi

11.6

31.4

50

31.2

251

1840

1442

78.4

46.9

33.5

7.8 ± 0.40

69.6 ± 2.2

1.43 ± 0.03

6.2 ± 0.84