Title
South Central European more or less species-rich mixed fir forests (Abies alba) with Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, partly Picea abies, with Galium rotundifolium, Dryopteris spp., Oxalis acetosella, partly Blechnum spicant, Equisetum sylvaticum, Bazzania trilobata, alternating with mixed deciduous forests with Abies alba
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Czech Republic; Slovenia: scattered in the south-east of the Alps; Croatia: Dinaric mountains; (not shown on the map Austria: strip at the northern edge of the Alps east of Salzburg; Yugoslavia: Serbia, Montenegro; Bosnia-Herzegovina)
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Equiseto-Abietetum Moor 1952, Oxali-Abietetum equisetetosum Mayer 1974, Galio rotundifolii-Abietetum Mayer Wraber (1955) 1959, Epimedio-Galio-Abietetum Marincek 1977, Bazzanio-Abietetum Marincek Wraber (1953) 1958, Blechno-Abietetum Horvat (1938, 1950) 1962, Carici brizoidis-Abietetum Trinajstić 1974, Luzulo pilosae-Abietetum Mráz 1957, Abietetum hercynicum Husová 1968 (both in the Galio-Abietenion Oberdorfer 1962).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Multi-layer forest stands of usually dominating fir with different admixtures of beech and spruce, whereby the beech does not achieve its maximum degree of competitiveness. Sycamore, and sometimes ash and wych elm are also admixtures particularly in moister formation types. In the usually weakly developed shrub layer Rubus-species often occur in addition to upgrowths of tree species. The relatively species-rich herb layer consists mainly of moderately demanding broad-leaved forest species, particularly those of a montane distribution as well as of acid and moisture indicators. The moss layer is usually well developed.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies alba dominating, admixed Picea abies, Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra, Sorbus aucuparia, on lower sites Quercus robur
Shrub layer
young growth of the tree layer, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Lonicera nigra, Sambucus racemosa
Herb layer
Galium rotundifolium, Oxalis acetosella, Prenanthes purpurea, Oreopteris limbosperma, Athyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris filix-mas, Dryopteris carthusiana, Blechnum spicant, Luzula luzuloides, Luzula pilosa, Senecio ovatus, Sanicula europaea, Polygonatum verticillatum; moist indicator species: Equisetum sylvaticum, Crepis paludosa, Chaerophyllum hirsutum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Dicranum scoparium, Polytrichum formosum, Hylocomium splendens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Plagiomnium affine, Plagiochila asplenioides, Hypnum cupressiforme, Atrichum undulatum, Bazzania trilobata
Diagnostically important species
Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus; Lonicera nigra; Galium rotundifolium, Oxalis acetosella, Prenanthes purpurea, Polygonatum verticillatum, Equisetum sylvaticum, Chaerophyllum hirsutum; Bazzania trilobata
Ecological variants
Subdivision according to degree of moisture (fresh to moist) and according to acidity and nutrient content of the soil.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
south-east Alpine formation type with Hieracium rotundatum, Dryopteris affinis; in the Czech Republic a subcontinental type with Calamagrostis arundinacea.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
often in complex with moist tall herb communities with Adenostyles alliariae, Chaerophyllum hirsutum and Equisetum-Caltha spring swamps.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
oak-hornbeam forests (F65), species-poor beech forests (F87, F96), species-rich beech forests (F121, F143, F149).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
transformed for the most part for spruce plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
with extensive agricultural use: Violion communities, dwarf shrub heaths (Genisto-Callunetum), Gentiano vernae-Brometum, Molinietalia communities; with intensive agricultural use: fodder meadows: Alchemillo-Arrhenatheretum, Triseteten; Pastures: Alchemillo-Cynosuretum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Utilisation for arable farming rare, sometimes potatoes, rye and oats.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountain country, usually only moderately inclined slopes, lower slopes, plains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to montane
Geology (bedrock)
flysch, upper freshwater molasse, metamorphic rocks, clay- slate, sandstone (Tertiary, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic brown soils, grey brown podzolic soils, podzole-brown soils, podzole-grey brown podzolic soils soils, similigley, slope-gley; medium to shallow layer, low stone content; (dystric and chromic cambisols; chromic and orthic luvisols; planosols; gleysols)
soil texture
sandy to clayey loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist, periodically moist, here and there wet
soil reaction
strong to weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic to meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI9b, VI3c, VI(X)
average annual temperature
6-9 °C
average annual precipitation
Yugoslavia: 550-750 mm; Czech Republic: 1400-1800 mm; region of the Alps: 1000->2000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 16-19 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4 to -2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
High air humidity.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
often endangered; moist formation types are sometimes better preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Mesophilous and moist forms are endangered.
causes of endangerment
earlier transformation into grassland, transformation for spruce forestry, drainage, emission, gnawing by forest animals.
required measures for protection and restitution
semi-natural siviculture, regulation of stocks of wild animals, establishment of strictly protected areas (e.g. natural forest reserves).
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: nature reserve Deggenreuschen-Rauschachen (Baden-Württemberg), landscape reserve Hörnergruppe (Bavaria); Czech Republic: Kamm Plánický hšeben; Austria: lower slope of the primeval forest Neuwald, Lower Austria (natural forest reserve).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Bartsch & Bartsch 1940; Burger 1982; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Horvat 1938; Horvat 1962; Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Husová 1968; Kuoch 1954; Marinček 1970; Marinček 1981a; Marinček 1981b; Mayer, Schenker & Zukrigl 1972; Moor 1954; Mráz 1957; Mráz 1959; Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1979; Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1987; Oberdorfer 1950; Oberdorfer 1957; Pawłowski & Stecki 1927; Seibert 1968; Szafer, Pawłowski & Kułczyński 1923; Szafer, Pawłowski & Kułczyński 1927; Szafer & Sokołowski 1927; Trinajstić 1974a; Trinajstić 1974b; Wraber 1957; Wraber 1958; Wraber 1959
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl with use of documents by U. Bohn, F. Klötzli, R. Neuhäusl, Z. Neuhäuslová and M. Zupančič
