Title
Homogyne alpina- and Adenostyles alliariae-spruce forests (Picea abies) in the Alps, partly alternating with Pinus mugo- and Alnus alnobetula-scrub
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: Bavarian limestone Alps; France: north Alps and Vercors; Switzerland; Italy; Austria; in the Alps dominating forest community of altimontane-subalpine altitudes
area frequency
36 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Homogyno-Piceetum Zukrigl 1973, Listero-Piceetum Mayer & Hofmann 1969; Veronico latifoliae-Piceetum, Sphagno-Piceetum calamagrostietosum, Larici-Piceetum, all Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; b) Adenostylo alliariae-Piceetum Zukrigl 1973; c) Adenostylo glabrae-Piceetum Zukrigl 1973, Calamagrostio variae-Abieti-Piceetum Frey 1995, Calamagrostio variae-Piceetum Frey 1995; (syn. all together: Piceetum subalpinum Braun-Blanquet 1938).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Pure spruce forests, which depending on location and stage of development may have admixtures of larch, and in the west may also have some spruce; often, particularly at greater altitudes, with a ”gang-like” structure (a dense group of trees with common eaves) without an appreciable shrub layer and usually with closed dwarf shrub, grass and herb layers and ample mosses.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea abies, partly with Larix decidua, Pinus cembra (on upward sites)
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia subsp. glabrata, Lonicera nigra, on upward sites Pinus mugo (especially on lime), Alnus alnobetula (on silicate)
Lianas
missing, locally Clematis alpina
Herb layer
a) Homogyne alpina, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calamagrostis villosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Lycopodium annotinum, Moneses uniflora, Luzula luzulina, Luzula sylvatica, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Blechnum spicant;
b) Adenostyles alliariae, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Viola biflora, Stellaria nemorum, Rumex arifolius, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula luzulina, Luzula luzuloides, Oxalis acetosella, Dryopteris dilatata;
c) Adenostyles glabra, Valeriana tripteris, Rubus saxatilis, Clematis alpina, Veronica urticifolia, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Calamagrostis varia, Sesleria albicans, Polystichum lonchitis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Barbilophozia spp., Ptilium crista-castrensis, Dicranum majus, Polytrichum formosum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Sphagnum spp.; on lime: Ctenidium molluscum, Tortella tortuosa
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies; a) Homogyne alpina, partly Listera cordata, Calamagrostis villosa, Luzula luzulina; b) on base-rich silicate: Adenostyles alliariae, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Viola biflora; c) on limestone: Adenostyles glabra, Valeriana tripteris, Calamagrostis varia, Carex alba
Ecological variants
varied subclassification depending on soil reaction and water balance.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
in the eastern Central Alps there is a formation type with Soldanella hungarica subsp. major and hardly any Listera cordata; in the Central Alps with much Listera cordata and Ptilium crista-castrensis, and sometimes Linnaea borealis.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
the tall herb-rich Adenostylo alliariae-Piceetum often alternating with tall herb communities (Adenostylo-Cicerbitetum) and Alnetum viridis, the Adenostylo glabrae-Piceetum with mugo pine scrub (Erico-Pinion mugo) and grass communities (Seslerion); at the Alpine margin the Aceri-Fagetum is present in parts.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
high mountain vegetation (A5), alpine grasslands (B43, B44), larch-pine forests (C19), alpine rose-dwarf pine scrub (C20), Pinus uncinata-forests (C22), spruce-fir forests (D29), species-poor beech- and mixed beech forests (F76, F87, F96), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F110, F132, F133, F142), mixed downy oak forests (G39, G40), dry pine forests (K1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce forest often with an increased proportion of larch, larch meadow forest.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
The Homogyno-Piceetum in particular has often been replaced by pasturing in complex with matgrass and the Rhododendro ferruginei-Vaccinietum. Alpine pastures (Nardion, Poion alpinae), and hay meadows in favourable areas (Trisetion flavescentis).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
communities of Monk’s rhubarb around alpine huts (Rumicion alpini).
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High-mountainous areas
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane/subalpine; 1400-1800 m, sunny sites here and there up until 2000 m
Geology (bedrock)
a) siliceous rock (quarz-, granodiorite), (Palaeozoic), b) base-rich siliceous rock (Palaeozoic) and clear limes (Triassic), c) limes and dolomites, micaceous schist (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
a) oligotrophic brown soils to ferrum-humus podzole, b) mesotrophic brown soils, lime brown soils, terra fusca, mull-humus carbonate soil, c) humus carbonate soil, stony terra fusca (limestone brown loam); (dystric and eutric cambisols; orthic podzols; dystric and rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
a) loamy sand; b) sandy to clayey loam, especially with c) strongly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry; a-b) also periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly to weakly acidic (neutral)
soil fertility
a, c) oligo- to oligo-mesotrophic, b) mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(X)
average annual temperature
1,5-5 °C
average annual precipitation
900-3000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
13-15 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
(-19) -12 to -6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Pressure of snow, Reifanhang, on exponated sites strong wind effects.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Most stands have been thinned out by (at least in earlier days) grazing, and are now often cut through by ski runs.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
distinct Spitzfichten stands; enclosed bogs.
causes of endangerment
Winter sports facilities, grazing, gnawing by wild animals.
required measures for protection and restitution
Regulation of grazing and wild animal populations, no further clearing for winter sports.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Italy: national park Stelvio; Switzerland: Grindelwald, Davos, Brigels (Scatlé, primeval forest, natural forest reserve); Austria: for a) national park Hohe Tauern, for instance Obersulzbachtal, Rauris valley, for b) Kuhschneeberg, Lower Austria, for c) Schneeberg, Lower Austria.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
like below ‘typical sites: a)
Most important references (author, year)
Burger 1982; Credaro & Pirola 1975; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Frey 1995; Mayer 1974; Montacchini, Caramiello-Lomagno, Forneris & Piervittori 1982; Ozenda 1988; Pedrotti, Orsomando & Cortini Pedrotti 1974; Wagner 1989; Zukrigl 1973
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl with the use of documents by H. Wagner, F. Klötzli, F. Pedrotti and Z. Neuhäuslová
