Caracterización fitoclimática de un sector de la montaña central cantábrica: el macizo de Curavacas (Palencia)

This article deals a phytoclimatic characterization of a mountain massif included in Cantabrian central mountain and dominated by Curavacas peak (2.524 m). As starting point are utilized field sampling vegetation plots combining with rainfall and thermal normalized data obtained of the SIGA (Service of Agrarian Geographical Information) and the data of 25 poles of measurement snow depth (EHRIN program). The data was processed by statistical techniques (multivariate and Cluster analysis) for modelling the results with a geographical information system. The paper analyse the different abiotic variables (altitude, latitude, longitude, aspect, slope or distance to the watershed or to the sea) that influence in the distribution of vegetation and its relationships with climatic factors: temperature, rainfall and snow depth. The results reflect the strengths of bioclimatic, temperature and geomorphologic variables as predicting of the distribution of vegetation. In addition, corological areas of identified taxa make it possible the classification and characterization of this massif as a eurosiberian- suboceanic type.