Title
Hercynian Calamagrostis villosa-spruce and spruce-beech forests (Picea abies, Fagus sylvatica), partly with Sphagnum girgensohnii, Bazzania trilobataa = on peat soils with Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens/ B. pubescens subsp. carpatica
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: high and crest region of the hercynian secondary mountains (Harz, Thuringian forest, Erzgebirge, Upper Palatinate forest, Bavarian forest); Czech Republic: Erzgebirge, Bohemian Forest, Bohemian-Moravian hights, Sudetes; Poland: Riesen- and Isergebirge, east Sudetes (Glatzer Schneeberg, Biehlengebirge), allusively in the Eulengebirge (Große Eule), on the Große Heuscheuer and probably in the Adlergebirge; Slovakia: Orava valley (in the north-west); Austria: Mühl-sector (small-scaled in the Bohemian Massif)
area frequency
15 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum (Tüxen 1937) Hartmann 1953, Hartmann & Jahn 1967, inkl. Soldanello-Piceetum Volk 1939, Plagiothecio-Piceetum hercynicum R. Tüxen (1932) 1937 apud J. M. Matuszkiewicz 1977, Mastigobryo-Piceetum (Schmid & Gaisberg 1936) Braun-Blanquet et al. 1939; b) moist to wet forms on inversion sites Sphagno-Piceetum Hartmann 1953.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three- to four-layered coniferous forests (degree of coverage 60-80%) with dominant spruce and regular admixtures of Sorbus aucuparia in the second tree layer, at lower altitudes with a very small proportion of Fagus sylvatica and Acer pseudoplatanus. The shrub layer is only weakly developed (20-30 %), mostly consisting of spruce upgrowths; The herb layer is species deficient (60-80 %) and consists of dwarf shrubs, grasses and herbaceous plants, often dominated by Calamagrostis villosa, Vaccinium myrtillus or Oxalis acetosella. A pronounced moss layer which is species-rich and usually densely closed (20) 70-100%, mainly bryophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea abies dominating, interspersed Sorbus aucuparia subsp. glabrata, locally with Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, Pinus sylvestris (with reduced vitality);
b) on bog sites with Betula pubescens s. l., Pinus rotandata, Pinus mugo
Shrub layer
young growth of Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia subsp. glabrata
Herb layer
a) Calamagrostis villosa, Oxalis acetosella, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Homogyne alpina, Listera cordata, Luzula sylvatica, Lycopodium annotinum, Soldanella montana, Trientalis europaea, Blechnum spicant, Huperzia selago, Streptopus amplexifolius, Deschampsia flexuosa, Dryopteris dilatata; moist fern- and tall herb-rich forms: Athyrium distentifolium, Dryopteris dilatata, Stellaria nemorum, Cicerbita alpina, Veratrum lobelianum and tall herbs;
b) on wet and bog sites: Eriophorum vaginatum, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex nigra, Carex rostrata, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Molinia carulea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
a) Plagiothecium undulatum, Dicranum scoparium, Pleurozium schreberi, Polytrichum formosum, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Bazzania trilobata, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Hylocomium splendens, Hylocomium umbratum, Ptilidium ciliare, Barbilophozia lycopodioides, Barbilophozia floerkei, Calypogeia spp., Dicranella heteromalla, Lepidozia reptans;
b) on the bog-form: several Sphagnum-species (among others Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum magellanicum), Polytrichum commune
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies; Calamagrostis villosa, Listera cordata, Blechnum spicant, Trientalis europaea, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Homogyne alpina, Lycopodium annotinum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Dryopteris dilatata, Huperzia selago, Maianthemum bifolium, Oxalis acetosella, Streptopus amplexifolius, Polygonatum verticillatum; Sphagnum girgensohnii, Barbilophozia floerkei, Hylocomium umbratum, Barbilophozia lycopodioides, Bazzania trilobata, Plagiothecium undulatum, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens; b) Polytrichum commune, Sphagnum spp.
Ecological variants
apart from the typical formation type there are fern-rich, tall herb-rich, moist and wet formation types; b) on boggy soils.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Germany: north-west Hercynian strain without fir (Harz, Thuringian Forest), sometimes with Galium saxatile and Luzula sylvatica; south-east Hercynian strain with Homogyne alpina and Lycopodium annotinum.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Carpathian birch-spruce-block forests, raised bog (Sphagnetum magellanici, Pino rotandatae-Sphagnetum, Sphagnetum medii raised bog complex), subalpine mugo pine scrub, tall herb communities (Adenostylion), grass communities (Calamagrostion villosae), spruce-fir-beech forests (Luzulo- and Dentario enneaphylli-Fagetum), montane Luzulo-Fagetum, Vaccinio-Abietetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
dwarf pine scrubs (C17), species-poor beech- and mixed beech forests (F90, F96, F97), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F134), raised bogs (S10), tree-rich raised bogs (S11).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce plantations, mostly naturally managed, often treated as protection forests; spruce plantations corresponds largely to the natural vegetation type regarding its species composition.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
small-grass mountain meadows (Nardion); locally small area meadows of the Polygono-Trisetion.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
genuine settlements are absent, and there are only scattered holiday, mountain, hunting or forestry huts etc.; small areas of Rumicion alpini Klinka 1944, poorly studied Polygonum totorta, Alchemilla amongst other ruderal communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High areas and ridges of uplands, cold inversions with relatively high air and soil humidity/moisture, boggy basins and saddles
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane, altimontane; Germany: (630) 700-1450 m; Czech Republic: 950-1400 m; Poland: (850) 1000-1500 m; Austria: above 900 m
Geology (bedrock)
granite, gneiss, micaceous schist, acidic eruptive rocks (Palaeozoic, Precambrian); periglacial scree covers (Pleistocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ferrum-humus podzole, podzole-ranker; Sphagnum-forms, gley-podzole, peaty soil-gleys, peaty soils; (orthic and gleyic podzols; histic and dystric gleysols; dystric histosols)
soil texture
sandy to grouany loam, often stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist in the typical form, in special cases (D34a) wet or stagnanting wet to peaty soils
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, locally mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(X)b; VI(X)a
average annual temperature
Germany: 3,5-5,2 °C; Czech Republic/Poland: 2-4 °C; Austria: 5-6 °C
average annual precipitation
1000-1300 (1600) mm
average temperature of the warmest month
Germany: 14-16 °C; Poland/Czech Republic: 10-15 °C; Austria: 15-17 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-7 to -3 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
In the west peak- and crest effects (for instance high precipitation of fog), more continental to the east.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
seriously endangered by pollutant emissions, while in the north Bohemian and north Moravian fringe areas as well as in the Sudetesland it is also threatened by the extensive dying out of the spruce (stocks of semi-natural vegetation 50 %); autochtonous stands are rare (mostly present in the high Harz); approx. 30 % on peat (D34a) in the Erzgebirge, Upper Palatine forest and the Bohemian forest.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural spruce forest communities and the enclosed raised bogs; species worthy of protection: Listera cordata, Trientalis europaea, Blechnum spicant, Streptopus amplexifolius.
causes of endangerment
Forestry (clear felling), wind damage and bark beetle plagues, increasing stress from air pollution related to industry and traffic, soil acidification, tourism.
required measures for protection and restitution
All semi-natural stands are worthy of protection (genetic origin of the local populations and ecotypes); general environmental clean up, controlled tourism.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: national park "Oberharz" (Saxony-Anhalt), central part of the nature park "Thüringer Wald" around Oberhof with nature reserve "Oberhofer Schloßberg" and nature reserve "Saukopfmoor" (Thuringia), nature reserve "Mothäuser Heide" (Saxony), National park ”Bayerischer Wald”, nature reserve”Großer Arber” (Bavaria); Czech Republic: Bohemian Forest, Glatzer Schneeberg, Altvatergebirge, Bohemian-Moravian hights (nature reserve Dáško near Žd’ár, spruce forest with Sphagnum girgensohnii); Poland: several sites in the national park Riesengebirge; nature reserve "Glatzer Schneeberg"; Austria: Dreisesselberg (northern Mühl-sector, Upper Austria).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bednář & Pěnčiková 1985; Dunzendorfer 1973; Fabiszewski 1968; Grüneberg & Schlüter 1957; Hartmann & Jahn 1967; Matuszkiewicz 1977; Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1960; Mayer 1974; Mikyška et al. 1968–1972; Neuhäusl 1975; Reinhold 1939; Schlüter 1966a; Schlüter 1966b; Schlüter 1969; Stöcker 1967; Wallnöfer 1993a
Compiled by
R. Neuhäusl and Z. Neuhäuslová; W. Matuszkiewicz; K. Zukrigl; Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by H. Schlüter, completed by Š. Maglocký, U. Bohn
