Title
Central European Galium odoratum-(fir-)beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) with Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, partly with Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: Frankenwald, foreland of the Swabian Alps, northern foreland of the Alps, east Bavarian flysch zone; Austria: foreland of the Alps of Salzburg, flysch-Wienerwald; Czech Republic: Bohemia
area frequency
22 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Galio odorati-Fagetum Sougnez & Thill 1959 (syn.: Asperulo-(Abieti-)Fagetum H. Mayer 1964, Zukrigl 1973, Melico-Fagetum Lohmeyer & Seibert 1954 p. p., Cardamino trifoliae-Fagetum Oberdorfer & Th. Müller 1984 p. p).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Well-growing red beech stands that are pure or mixed with fir, often with a cathedral forest character (in their natural state, however, they are multi-layered forests), 30-35 m tall, and with a shrub layer consisting almost exclusively of young tree upgrowths. Species-rich herb layer composed of demanding sciophilous herbs and grasses (in the lowlands the naturally dominant red beech can be displaced by preferential treatment of oak; together with the oaks, Carpinion species also gain the upper hand).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, singular and group-wise Abies alba, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra, Carpinus betulus, locally Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos
Shrub layer
Young growth of the tree species, Daphne mezereum, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Lonicera xylosteum, Euonymus europaea, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus latifolia
Herb layer
Galium odoratum, Cardamine bulbifera, Cardamine enneaphyllos, Cardamine trifolia, Prenanthes purpurea, Mercurialis perennis, Lamium montanum, Lamium galeobdolon, Dryopteris filix-mas, Carex sylvatica, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Milium effusum, Aposeris foetida, Symphytum tuberosum, Festuca gigantea, Oxalis acetosella, Athyrium filix-femina
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
sparsely: among others Atrichum undulatum, Hypnum cupressiforme at stem feet
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba; Galium odoratum, Cardamine bulbifera, Cardamine trifolia, Cardamine enneaphyllos, Aposeris foetida, Symphytum tuberosum
Ecological variants
Extensively subcategorised according to soil humidity; acidophilous form with Luzula luzuloides.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Bavaria and Salzburg with Aposeris foetida, Cardamine trifolia; smooth transitions to F120 in the eastern Wienerwald.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Germany: Elymo-Fagetum, Carici albae-Fagetum, Aceri-Fraxinetum, Tilio-Ulmetum; Austria: in the limestone Alps in complex with Carici-Fagetum (can not be represented individually in the map); in the flysch zone with F96.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
pine forests (D54a), sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F50, F51), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F85, F86, F96, F97), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F110, F113, F120, F128, F131, F133), pine forests (K2, K3), tree-rich raised bogs (S11), brown mires (S24), alder-ash forests (U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
pine and spruce forestry; hedges and scrub: Ligustro-Prunetum, Carpino-Prunetum; forest clearing vegetation: Epilobion angustifolii, Atropetum belladonnae.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
With extensive agricultural use: dwarf-shrub heaths, shortgrass meadows; with intensive agricultural use: grass meadows: Dauco-Arrhenatheretum, Alchemillo-Arrhenatheretum, Geranio-Trisetetum; pastures: Lolio-Cynosuretum, Alchemillo-Cynosuretum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Field weed communities (barley, rye, oats, potatoes, red clover): Alchemillo-Matricarietum, Galeopsio-Alchemilletum, Chenopodio-Oxalidetum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly and mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane-montane; Germany: 400-700 m; Austria: 650-1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
base-rich siliceous rocks; glacial sediments of the Würm ice-age (Pleistocene); flysch chalky clay (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich brown soils, parabrown soils, partly pseudogleyed, locally rendzines, para-rendzines; (eutric cambisols; orthic luvisols; rendzic leptosols; calcaric regosols)
soil texture
sandy to clayey loam, partly containing rock debris
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, periodically moist
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI8b, VI8c, VI9b, VI9c
average annual temperature
6-9 EC
average annual precipitation
900-1700 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)
Mainly transformed into coniferous plantations in Germany; Austria: sometimes still well preserved, but often transformed into spruce monocultures.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Fir-rich stands; Austria: species worthy of protection: Wienerwald larch, Ruscus hypoglossum (in the farther Wienerwald).
causes of endangerment
Forestry, transformation of semi-natural forests into coniferous plantations, browsing damage.
required measures for protection and restitution
Semi-natural silviculture, establishment of ecologically compatible stocks of ungulates.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: primeval forest reserve Kühberg, primeval forest reserve Krebswiese-Langerjergen (Bavaria); Austria: Farther Wienerwald (Schöpfl region), forest administration Klausenleopoldsdorf.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Mayer 1974; Seibert 1968; Strobl 1986; Wallnöfer, Mucina & Grass 1993
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl under use of documents by H. Wagner; U. Bohn
