Title
Central European thermophilous calciphilous beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) with Cephalanthera rubra, Anthericum ramosum, Sesleria albicans, partly with Carex alba
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: east Hessen, Main valley, Neckarland, Trauf of the Swabian Alps, Franconian Alps (Altmühl, Naab valley), Thuringia; France: Jura; Switzerland: Jura (Val de Travers), not on the map: Walensee, Seez and Rhine valley; Austria: northern and eastern margin of the Alps, southern Wienerwald; Czech Republic: Bohemian Karst; Slovakia: Carpathians (Mala Fatra, Fatra)
area frequency
18 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952 (incl. Antherico-Fagetum Hofmann 1959, Seslerio-Taxetum Hofmann 1958, Taxo-Fagetum Etter 1947 p. p.), Seslerio-Fagetum Moor 1952; Corno-Fagetum Zlatník 1959, Melitti-Fagetum Soó 1962, Fagetum dealpinum Zlatník 1959.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
In the Carici-Fagetum the beech clearly dominates, but is regularly accompanied by more heliophilous secondary tree species. In stands that have long been exploited as low or middle forest they are more strongly represented (particularly Carpinus betulus and Acer campestre). The shrub layer in semi-natural stands is species-rich, but it rarely achieves higher degrees of coverage. The shrubs are also usually low and hardly ever bloom or fruit. The herb layer is usually well developed, but interspersed and in addition to generalised Fagetalia species also sometimes contains heliophilous and thermophilous species. "Grassing over", particularly with Carex alba, Sesleria albicans or Calamagrostis varia, is frequent.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, stem-wise to small tree stand-like admixed Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis, Quercus petraea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium, Tilia cordata, isolated Quercus pubescens, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra, Abies alba, Picea abies
Shrub layer
sparsely, but regularly Daphne mezereum, Lonicera xylosteum, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Cornus sanguinea, Rosa arvensis, Viburnum opulus, Viburnum lantana, Frangula alnus, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus cathartica, Ligustrum vulgare; locally Cornus mas, Amelanchier ovalis, Berberis vulgaris
Herb layer
indicators of warmth and dryness: Cephalanthera damasonium, Cephalanthera rubra, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Carex montana, Carex flacca, Carex humilis, Polygonatum odoratum, Campanula rapunculoides, Campanula persicifolia, Tanacetum corymbosum, Arabis pauciflora, Primula veris, Sesleria albicans, Brachypodium pinnatum, Astragalus glycyphyllos, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Anthericum ramosum, Epipactis microphylla, Epipactis atrorubens, Geranium sanguineum, Inula hirta, regionally: Calamagrostis varia, Carduus defloratus, Carex alba; other eu-mesotraphent species: Convallaria majalis, Mercurialis perennis, Lathyrus vernus, Actaea spicata, Hepatica nobilis, Asarum europaeum, Hordelymus europaeus, Viola reichenbachiana, Campanula trachelium, Neottia nidus-avis, Melica uniflora, Galium sylvaticum, Epipactis helleborine, Melica nutans, Hieracium murorum, Fragaria vesca, Bromus ramosus, Solidago virgaurea, Carex digitata
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis; Cephalanthera damasonium, Cephalanthera rubra, Cypripedium calceolus, Epipactis microphylla, Carex alba, Carex montana, Sesleria albicans, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria among others indicators of warmth and dryness; missing of indicators of moisture
Ecological variants
On extremely shallow-soiled and steep slopes there are Sesleria albicans-rich forms, often as "gnarled beech forests". Various subassociations depending on exposure and soil characteristics.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Due to wide geographic scattering there is great variability in the species composition with numerous vicariants and regional forms: e.g. a moderately continental vicariant with Hepatica nobilis (e.g. Franconian Alps); a subatlantic-sub-Mediterranean hued vicariant with Euphorbia amygdaloides, Melittis melissophyllum, Buxus sempervirens, Hippocrepis emerus of the western areas (e.g. the Swabian Alps, western Lake Constance and in the region around the upper Rhine, the Swiss Jura); fore-alpine with Euonymus latifolia and Carex alba at the foothills of the Alps; in the northeast limestone Alps a regional form with Helleborus niger, Cyclamen purpurascens, at the eastern Alpine margin with more sub-Mediterranean species, e.g. Carduus defloratus subsp. glaucus, in the Graz mountains with Poa stiriaca and almost without Carex alba.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Debris slope forests (Tilio-Acerion); Hordelymo-Fagetum Kuhn 1937, Lithospermo-Quercetum Br.-Bl. 1932; Galio-Carpinetum bupleuretosum longifolii (Schlueter 1962, 1963); thermophilous fringe communities of the Geranion sanguinei, sometimes with Dictamnus albus; dry grassland (Teucrio-Seslerietum, Caricetum humilis s. l.); steppe grassland (Festucetum valesiacae s. l., Seslerietum calcariae s. l.); rock band communities (Seslerio-Festucion glaucae); interdigitating with black pine forests (Seslerio- as well as Euphorbio saxatilis-Pinetum nigrae) and Quercetalia pubescentis communities at the eastern Alpine margin; regularly in complex with Helleboro-Fagetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce forests (D36), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F43, F51, F58), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F85, F96), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F110, F113, F114, F120, F129, F129a, F130, F132, F133, F135), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G16), black pine forests (K9, K13), alder-ash forests (U27).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Mixed pine-hardwood forestry, pine forestry (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra). Cornus sanguinea-Prunus spinosa scrub and forest mantle, sometimes with Rosa rubiginosa, Ligustrum vulgare, Berberis vulgaris (Ligustro-Prunetum); thermophilous perennial fringes (e.g. Trifolio-Agrimonietum, Bupleuro-Laserpitietum latifolii).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous shortgrass meadows (Mesobromion erecti): Gentiano-Koelerietum, sometimes with Juniperus communis, Polygalo majoris-Brachypodietum pinnati Wagner 1941, with numerous protected orchid species such as Himantoglossum hircinum, Ophrys species, Orchis purpurea, Orchis militaris etc..
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, fruit plantations; crop field weed communities: Caucalido-Adonidetum, Thlaspio-Veronicetum politae.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
---
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Carbonate stone hills and uplands, limestone alps, breached valleys and steep slopes in cuesta scarp regions.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane to montane; ca. 200-1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, dolomite, chalky clay stone (Jurassic, Triassic); lime-rich flysch (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mull and mull-like rendzines, stony terra fusca and limestone brown soils; (eutric and calcic cambisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
loamy, clayey-loamy, stony
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
neutral to weakly alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI7c, VI8c, VI(X)b
average annual temperature
7-10 EC
average annual precipitation
570-1200 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to 1 EC; -5 to -2 EC (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Predominately on sunny slopes.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Well preserved semi-natural stands in certain areas, but degraded strongly in many regions.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection. Rich in protected thermophilous species and species worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Transformation of semi-natural forests into coniferous plantations (mostly pine forestry), grazing, destruction of sites through quarrying, eutrophication.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation by different types of protective measures is necessary; semi-natural silviculture, designation of natural forest reservations, regeneration by natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: nature reserve "Still", nature reserve "Großer Gleisberg", nature reserve "Hohe Lehde" (Thuringia); nature reserve "Kleiner Fallstein" (Saxony-Anhalt); Schieferstein, Graburg as far as Dreiherrenstein (partly nature reserve), nature reserve Plesse and Konstein (Hessen); Grainberg and Kalbenstein, primeval forest reserve Donauhänge (Bavaria); BW Stammberg, nature reserve Neckarhalde, BW Rabensteig, Donau through near Sigmaringen (landscape reserve, partly nature reserve), nature reserve Wutachflühen (Baden-Württemberg); Austria: southern Wienerwald (several primeval forest reserves); Switzerland: Einhänge to the Walensee, Seez and Rhine valley; Czech Republic: Bohemian Karst so Boubová, Tafelberg Dñbán, Tal Kalivodské údolí, landscape reserve „eský Kras, Dñbán, ðelezné hory-mountains (fragments), Moravský kras; Slovakia: landscape reserve Lower Carpathians (surroundings of Plavecký Mikuláš), Stráñovská vrchovina (surroundings of Uhrovec).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Germany: nature reserve "Leutratal" with orchid-rich calcareous shortgrass meadows (Thuringia); Austria: eastern margin od the Alps south of Wien.
Most important references (author, year)
Bohn 1996; Frey 1995; Hančinský 1972; Hofmann 1958; Hofmann 1959; Hofmann 1964b; Künne 1969; Lukniš (Ed.) 1972; Mayer 1974; Marstaller 1970; Mikyška 1972; Moravec, Husová, Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1982; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Müller Th. 1992; Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1970; Schlüter 1962; Schlüter 1963; Schlüter 1967; Soó 1964b; Wallnöfer, Mucina & Grass 1993; Zlatník 1959; Zukrigl 1973
Compiled by
U. Bohn; H. Schlüter; J. Michalko and Z. Neuhäuslová; K. Zukrigl under use of documents by Klötzli, completed by Š. Maglocký
