Title
Central European beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) with Lathyrus vernus, Hepatica nobilis in combination with Cephalanthera-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Relatively small-scaled in central and south Germany: South Harz Zechsteingürtel, Werra valley, Thuringian limestone-hilly country, Rhön-foreland, Franconian and Swabian Alps; Switzerland: (not shown on the maps)
area frequency
7 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Hordelymo-Fagetum Kuhn 1937 p. p., (syn.: Lathyro-Fagetum Hartmann 1953); b) Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952 (syn.: Cephalanthero-Fagetum Oberdorfer 1957).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
a) Mostly two-layered, closed stands. The beech grows well to very well. A sparse shrub layer, an often grass-rich herb layer (hemicryptophytes, also geophytes). They colonise fresh sites at higher altitudes both on slopes of all exposures and on flat surfaces. At lower altitudes they are restricted to shaded slopes, slope hollows, lower slopes and flat surfaces. b) Primarily beech with additions of sessile oak, sycamore, field maple, ash, hawthorn, wild service tree. The trees grow moderately well. The shrub layer is species and individual-rich, but usually only low and loose. The herb layer is mostly loose, interspersed and species-rich, and consists mostly of thermophilous and drought-resistant herbaceous plants (hemicryptophytes, geophytes). The moss layer is sparse. The community occurs mainly on shallow, south exposed limestone slopes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
a) Fagus sylvatica dominating, here and there Quercus petraea, Fraxinus excelsior, Acer pseudoplatanus admixed;
b) Fagus sylvatica, Acer campestre, Quercus petraea, Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis, locally Taxus baccata
Shrub layer
a) Daphne mezereum, Crataegus laevigata, Lonicera xylosteum, Corylus avellana;
b) Cornus sanguinea, Rosa arvensis, Hippocrepis emerus, Crataegus monogyna, Ligustrum vulgare, Viburnum lantana, Rhamnus cathartica
Herb layer
a) Lathyrus vernus, Asarum europaeum, Hepatica nobilis, Lilium martagon, Hordelymus europaeus, Galium odoratum, Bromus benekenii, Mercurialis perennis, Sanicula europaea, Lamium galeobdolon, Convallaria majalis, Viola reichenbachiana, Melica uniflora, Carex sylvatica, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Galium sylvaticum, Dactylis polygama;
b) thermophilous or drought resistant species: Carex montana, Carex flacca, Brachypodium pinnatum, Cephalanthera rubra, Cephalanthera damasonium, Neottia nidus-avis, locally Carex alba, Sesleria albicans; missing of indicators of freshness.
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
a) Fagus sylvatica; Lathyrus vernus, Hepatica nobilis, Asarum europaeum, Hordelymus europaeus; b) Fagus sylvatica, Acer campestre, Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis; Cephalanthera damasonium, Cephalanthera rubra, Carex montana, Carex alba, Sesleria albicans, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Campanula persicifolia, Primula veris
Ecological variants
a) locally geophyte and Mercurialis-rich forms.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Galio-Carpinetum (especially Galio-Carpinetum bupleuretosum longifolii), Galio odorati-Fagetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F50, F51, F55, F57), species-poor beech forests (F85, F90), species-rich beech forests (F110, F113, F115, F118, F129a).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
pine and spruce forestry, secondary thermophilous oak-hornbeam forests; blackthorn scrub and hedges.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Infertile and thermophilous Arrhenatherion, Mesobromion.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Wheat and beet fields (Galio-Adonietum, Euphorbio-Melandrietum).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Limestone hills and cuesta scarp mountainous country with shallow to rocky cliffs and loess covered plateaus
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 300-600 m
Geology (bedrock)
gypsum and limestone (Permian, Middle Triassic, Jurassic), often with cover of bluff formation
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich brown soils, parabrown soils, rendzines; (eutric and vertic cambisols; orthic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
stony to clayey loam
soil moisture, water balance
a) fresh, b) dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI7c, VI9c, VI(X)d
average annual temperature
6-9 EC
average annual precipitation
600-1100 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to 0 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Usually the hanging beech forests are in a good state of preservation on shallow sites.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All thermophilous forest communities and shortgrass meadows with partly rare species.
causes of endangerment
Forestry.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: nature reserve "Osteroder Holz" (Saxony-Anhalt), nature reserve " Hohe Lehde" (Tautenburger Forst), nature reserve "Willinger Berg", nature reserve "Still" (Thuringia), Werra valley near Eschwege, Franconian Alps, Trauf of the Swabian Alps near Aalen.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Calcareous shortgrass meadows and dry grassland in regions mentioned above.
Most important references (author, year)
Bohn 1996; Hofmann 1958; Hofmann 1959; Hofmann 1964b; Marstaller 1970; Moor 1952; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Oberdorfer (Hrsg.) 1992; Schlüter 1962; Schlüter 1963; Schlüter 1967
Compiled by
J. Niedbala, U. Bohn among others based on documents by H. Schlüter
