Abstract Being a heliophilous species, Juniperus thurifera L. profited and colonized the open environment coming from the Tertiary and Quaternay climatic changes. Widespread over continental territories, mainly on limestone, between 200 and 3150 m a. s. l., it shows a fragmented area (N-Africa, Iberian Peninsula, Pyrénées, SE Alpes and Corsica). Biogeographically, it’s also defining ‘ relictic’ communities. Suffering along the times accidental fires, wild herbivours pressure, parasitic and symbiotic plant and animal, this tree was “ pre-adapted” to the human exploitation. Resistant to prune – in many cases a pollard tree – and to the action of herds, it constituted a toponymical reference, harbor, a hunting area, offered firewood and timber very resistant to the open air, medicinal products, pasture and cultivated lands, plants for bees, etc. Along centuries, the result was an agro-silvo-pastoral landscape which supported an autarchic or transhumant system. Moreover, old cultural regulations assured their stability. Nevertheless, until the 60’ s of the XXth century, the J. thurifera populations were more or less intensively cleared or destroyed. Fortunately enough, after this moment, these forests began to recover and increased their density, especially in Spain. First because of the rural abandonment, after because of the forest services interventions and finally due to the scientific and conservation policies we can contemplate a general protection of these special tree communities, mainly in Europe. It’s true that along the last times many works on its biology and ecology were carried out and published, but in this speech I would like to present some data and reflections on the gaps of knowledge around the incense juniper.