Title
Anglo-Irish birch forests (Betula pubescens) with Sorbus aucuparia, Ilex aquifolium, Juniperus communis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ireland: on the whole island on suitable high altitudes; Great Britain: Scotland (southern part of the Inner Hebrids, Argyll, southern Uplands), Wales (Cambrian Mountains), England (Dartmoor)
area frequency
45 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Vaccinio-Betuletum pubescentis Tüxen 1937; Quercus petraea-Betula pubescens-Oxalis acetosella community (WII) Rodwell 1991.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Hypothetical stand structure based on the occurrence of occasional tree and heath vegetation, since this forest type has been almost completely transformed: open, mostly low birch forest with Sorbus aucuparia and Ilex aquifolium, locally with Taxus baccata and Populus tremula, particularly at rocky sites. The largely implanted Pinus sylvestris will probably become an integral part of the community in some areas. The shrub layer consists mainly of Salix species, perhaps also Juniperus, in addition to upgrowths of the tree layer. A well-developed dwarf shrub layer is formed from Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna vulgaris and - particularly at high altitudes - Empetrum nigrum. In the herb layer, grasses such as Luzula sylvatica, Deschamspia flexuosa and ferns dominate. The moss layer is well developed.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Ilex aquifolium, locally Taxus baccata, Populus tremula, Pinus sylvestris (partly introduced)
Shrub layer
Salix aurita, Salix atrocinerea, Salix cinerea, Juniperus communis
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum
Herb layer
Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus, Empetrum nigrum, Deschampsia flexuosa, Pteridium aquilinum, Luzula sylvatica, Oxalis acetosella, Agrostis canina, Galium saxatile, Blechnum spicant, Potentilla erecta
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum jutlandicum, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Sphagnum capillifolium, Rhytidiadelphus loreus
Diagnostically important species
Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Ilex aquifolium, Lonicera periclymenum; Deschampsia flexuosa, Pteridium aquilinum, Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus
Ecological variants
With Erica cinerea on drier and Erica tetralix on wetter sites.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Scotland the community is characterised by more Nordic species such as Linnaea borealis and Pyrola ssp..
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Atlantic-montane heaths, various oligotrophic fens.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
coastal heaths (E5, E11), acid-soil oak forests (F1, F2), mixed oak-ash forests (F32), dune vegetation (P5), blanket bogs (S5, S6, S7), raised bogs (S8).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Mountain heaths and grassland. Nardetalia Preising 1949, Calluno-Ericetum cinereae Lenée 1938, Vaccinio-Callunion fens in Mhic Daeid 1976.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountain country; higher mountain slopes between oak forests and mountain heaths, where the slopes are too steep for blanket bogs
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to montane; 300-700 m
Geology (bedrock)
granites (Palaeozoic, Precambrian), slate, sandstone and other acidic metamorphic rocks (Devonian, Carboniferous, Ordovician, Silurian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podsols and ranker; (placic and orthic podzols; dystric leptosols)
soil texture
mostly stony, sandy
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
very acidic, acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(VI)1, VI(V)1, VI(V)2, X
average annual temperature
4-6 °C
average annual precipitation
1200-2400 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
9-11 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
to 1 °C, in north and east Scotland < 0 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
extremly windy especially on west-exposed slopes; often cloudy.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No actual remnants of this vegetation type exist any more, but from isolated groups of trees or single trees that exist outside of the range of grazing animals one can assume what the appearance of this unit might have been.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
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causes of endangerment
Grazing, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of grazing would probably lead to a return of this vegetation type.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Ireland: forests, which - at those sites where they could be reestablished - come closest to the true conditions, are probably to be found in the Glenealo Valley nature reserve, Co. Wicklow and in the national parks of Killarney and Glenveagh.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Different heath communities are as "Cultural landscapes" worthy for plants as well as for animal communities.
Most important references (author, year)
Rodwell (Ed.) 1991a
Compiled by
J.R. Cross
