Title
Subatlantic-Central European beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) with Lathyrus vernus, Hepatica nobilis, in the southwest with Cardamine heptaphylla, Cardamine pentaphyllos, locally Cephalanthera-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: south Lower Saxony, Thuringian limestone-hilly country, east Hessen, Upper Franconia, Franconian Alb, Alb-Wutach-region; France: Franche Comté; for the Czech Republic stands are not shown on the map
area frequency
23 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Hordelymo-Fagetum Kuhn 1937 (Lathyro-Fagetum Hartmann 1953 p.p.), Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952; Tilio cordatae-Fagetum Mráz 1960 em. Moravec 1977, partly Melico-Fagetum sensu Moravec 1982; Dentario heptaphylli-Fagetum (Braun-Blanquet 1932) Th. Müller 1966.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
The beech is completely dominant, and within the range of the silver fir this tree is also added. Other tree species such as sycamore, ash, wych elm, large-leaved lime, small-leaved lime and Norway maple can be added. The growth of the beech is in general good, and sometimes very good, although not as optimal as it is in the Galio-Fagetum. The shrub layer is developed sparsely. The well-developed herb layer features differing species compositions in the various forms. These include the eastern form of the Hordelymo-Fagetum (formerly designated as Lathyro-Fagetum), local transitions to the Carici-Fagetum. The boundary with the Carici-Fagetum is marked by freshness indicators. In the southwest the unit contains northern outliers of the Dentario heptaphylli-Fagetum.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, stem-wise admixed Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, Fraxinus excelsior, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides, Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus aria, Tilia platyphyllos, Tilia cordata, locally Taxus baccata, regionally Abies alba
Shrub layer
sparsely Daphne mezereum, Lonicera xylosteum, Viburnum opulus, Corylus avellana, Cornus sanguinea, Crataegus laevigata, Rosa arvensis, Viburnum lantana
Herb layer
Carex digitata, Carex montana, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Melica uniflora, Melica nutans, Mercurialis perennis, Galium odoratum, Sanicula europaea, Convallaria majalis, Galium sylvaticum, Dactylis polygama, Bromus benekenii, Viola reichenbachiana, Poa nemoralis, Mycelis muralis, Campanula trachelium, Polygonatum multiflorum, Epipactis helleborine, Anemone nemorosa, Anemone ranunculoides, Phyteuma spicatum, Scrophularia nodosa; eastern species: Lathyrus vernus, Asarum europaeum, Hepatica nobilis, Lilium martagon; Freshezeiger (differential species towards the Carici-Fagetum): Hordelymus europaeus, Carex sylvatica, Actaea spicata, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Lamium galeobdolon, Cardamine bulbifera, Pulmonaria officinalis, Milium effusum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Paris quadrifolia, Primula elatior, Cardamine impatiens, regionally Prenanthes purpurea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica; Daphne mezereum; Lathyrus vernus, Lilium martagon, Asarum europaeum, Hepatica nobilis, Ranunculus lanuginosus, Viola mirabilis, Hordelymus europaeus, Actaea spicata, Vicia sylvatica
Ecological variants
Geophyte-rich form with Allium ursinum, Corydalis cava, Arum maculatum, Gagea lutea, Ranunculus ficaria; transitions to the Carici-Fagetum with Cephalanthera damasonium, Carex montana.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Southeast vicariant with Cardamine enneaphyllos, Symphytum tuberosum subsp. angustifolium; southwest vicariant with Cardamine heptaphylla, Helleborus foetidus, Daphne laureola, Lonicera alpigena.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Luzulo-Fagetum, Carici-Fagetum, mixed woodrush/soft-leaved sedge/beech forest; Melico-Fagetum; Stellario-Carpinetum, Galio-Carpinetum; Carici remotae-Fraxinetum, Stellario-Alnetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
soil-acidic oak forests (F11, F19, F20, F20t), oak-hornbeam forests (F50, F51, F52, F55, F57), species-poor beech forests (F77, F83, F85, F86, F93, F96), species-rich beech forests (F107, F110, F114, F115, F118, F128, F129, F129a, F130), thermophilous oak and pine-oak forests (G1), raised bogs (S10), alluvial forests (U9).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Oak-hornbeam middle and low forests, mixed pine-deciduous tree forestry, pine forestry, spruce forestry; pioneer phases of forest rejuvenation with ash and Norway maple; hedges and scrub: Ligustro-Prunetum, Cornus sanguinea-Prunus spinosa scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
With extensive agricultural use: sage-tall oatgrass meadows, semi dry grassland (Mesobromion): Onobrychido-Brometum, Gentiano-Koelerietum; with intensive agricultural use: grass meadows: Alchemillo-Arrhenatheretum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Wheat and beet fields: Thlaspio-Fumarietum, Caucalido-Adonidetum, Euphorbio-Melandrietum (syn.: Sedo-Neslietum, Setario-Veronicetum politae, Thlaspio-Veronicetum politae, Melandrietum noctiflori), Linarietum (Kickxietum) spuriae.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Perennial fringes with Chaerophyllum temulum, Arctium tomentosum, in the Kuppenrhone with Chaerophyllum aureum, Ch. bulbosum, Conium maculatum.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Limestone hilly country (mainly loess covered plateaus) and lower mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 150-600 (800) m
Geology (bedrock)
dolomite and limestone, chalky clay rock (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic), regionally and locally basalt (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rendzines, (limestone-)brown soils, parabrown soils, colluvia; (rendzic leptosols; eutric and calcic cambisols; orthic luvisols)
soil texture
loam to clay, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to weakly alkaline
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI1(VII), VI7c, VI8a, VI9b
average annual temperature
7-9 EC
average annual precipitation
590-1100 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to 0 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forests managed in a near-natural manner are frequent, although some are degraded and have been converted into plantations; these are the most important semi-natural beech areas in central Germany.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Carici-Fagetum; nearly-natural stands with species rare and worthy of protection: Hepatica nobilis, Cardamine enneaphyllos.
causes of endangerment
Transformation of semi-natural forests into low forests and plantations, agricultural use, eutrophication.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of semi-natural remnants by different kinds of protective measures.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: nature park Hainich, nature reserve Hainholz, primeval forest reserve Hünstollen, primeval forest reserve Fuchslöcher (Lower Saxony), nature reserve "Osteroder Holz" (district of Halberstadt, Saxony-Anhalt), primeval forest cell Hellberg, primeval forest cell Am Karlsbrunn (North Rhine-Westphalia), Landecker Berg (Hessen), primeval forest reserve Wasserberg, primeval forest reserve Schneetal, primeval forest reserve Groppenhofer and Rieder Leite, primeval forest reserve Hammerleite (Bavaria); Czech Republic/Slovakia: landscape reserve Kíivoklátsko (mount Vlastec, Jägerhaus Emilovna near Skryje), Stíedo…eská pahorkatina hilly country (near Vráñ near Písek).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bohn 1996; Hofmann 1958; Hofmann 1959; Hofmann 1964b; Künne 1969; Marstaller 1970; Moravec 1977; Moravec, Husová, Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1982; Müller Th. 1977; Müller Th. 1992; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Rameau 1988; Schlüter 1962; Schlüter 1963; Schlüter 1967; Seibert 1968
Compiled by
U. Bohn based on documents by H. Schlüter, R. Neuhäusl and literature
