Title
South subatlantic calciphilous beech and fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) with Lathyrus vernus, Asarum europaeum, Cardamine heptaphylla, locally with Cephalanthera- and Sesleria-beech forestsa = without Abies alba
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Montane altitude of the French Jura, western marginal Alps; Switzerland: Jura, north Alps; Germany: Alb-Wutach-area, Swabian Alps (predominately F129a)
area covered
F129: 6320 km², F129a: 3380 km²
area frequency
F129: 13 polygons, F129a: 2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Dentario heptaphyllae-Fagetum (Moor 1952) Th. Müller 1966 (syn.: Fagetum praealpino jurassicum Braun-Blanquet 1932; Festuco-Abieti-Fagetum Frey 1995, Adenostylo glabrae-Abieti-Fagetum Frey 1995, Adenostylo alliariae-Abieti-Fagetum Frey 1995); Hordelymo-Fagetum Kuhn 1937; Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952; Seslerio-Fagetum Moor 1952.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mostly two- to three-layered beech or fir-beech forests with growthy, dominating beech, with fir being added as single specimens or in groups. Sycamore, ash, wych elm, Norway maple, small-leaved lime, and at lower altitudes also sporadic oak and hornbeam are also found; usually there is a weakly developed shrub layer and a well-developed, species-rich herb layer; mosses are sparse.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, Abies alba admixed (in Germany missing on the plateau of the Swabian Alps), Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra, Tilia platyphyllos, Taxus baccata, locally Picea abies
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus aria, Daphne mezereum, Daphne laureola, Corylus avellana, Lonicera xylosteum, Crataegus laevigata, Viburnum lantana, Rosa dumalis, Rosa rubiginosa, Rosa pendulina, Lonicera alpigena, Sambucus racemosa
Herb layer
Cardamine heptaphylla, Cardamine bulbifera, Cardamine pentaphyllos, Hordelymus europaeus, Mercurialis perennis, Lamium montanum, Viola reichenbachiana, Melica uniflora, Galium odoratum, Carex sylvatica, Poa nemoralis, Milium effusum, Anemone nemorosa; locally Sesleria albicans, Carex digitata, Carex montana, Carex flacca, Helleborus foetidus, Melittis melissophyllum, Euphorbia amygdaloides among others indicators of lime and heat; montane species: Polygonatum verticillatum, Ranunculus platanifolius, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. vulparia, Petasites albus, Prenanthes purpurea, Aruncus dioicus, Adenostyles alliariae, Adenostyles glabra (Switzerland)
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus; Trennarten gegen das Galio-Fagetum: Mercurialis perennis, Lathyrus vernus, Lilium martagon, Asarum europaeum, Hepatica nobilis, Ranunculus lanuginosus, Viola mirabilis, Hordelymus europaeus, Actaea spicata, Pulmonaria obscura, Euphorbia amygdaloides; im Südwesten: Cardamine heptaphylla, Cardamine pentaphylla, Veronica urticifolia, Adenostyles glabra, Primula vulgaris, Daphne laureola; montane tall forb: Polygonatum verticillatum, Ranunculus platanifolius, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. vulparia, Petasites albus
Ecological variants
Diverse forms from fresh and/or fern-rich to thermophilous, and from basiphilous to weakly acidophilous.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Germany: the form in the Swabian Alps is usually without fir; Switzerland: tall-forb and fern-rich, sometimes also acidic-soil forms with fir and Luzula sylvatica; France: thermophilous and shrub-richer forms, sometimes with spruce and fir as well as Acer opalus, and in some locations with Quercus pubescens and Buxus sempervirens.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Aceri-Fagetum, Carici- and Seslerio-Fagetum, sometimes with Taxus baccata; scree and ravine forests of the Tilio-Acerion, locally block spruce forest (Asplenio-Piceetum); montane forms of the Luzulo-Fagetum, and mostly Milium variants; locally Lithospermo-Quercetum; Cotoneastro-Amelanchieretum; dry grassland (Teucrio-Seslerietum, Diantho-Festucetum pallentis).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
fir- and mixed fir forests (D29), spruce forests (D35), acidophilous oak- and mixed oak forests (F16), sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F51, F52, F53), species-poor beech- and fir-beech forests (F85, F90, F93), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F110, F113, F114, F116, F118, F129a, F130, F131, F132), downy oak forests (G39, G41), tree-rich raised bogs (S11), grey alder forests (U27).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce and pine forests, and occasionally fir forests; Salix caprea stands; Corylus avellana and Sorbus aria scrub, Cornus sanguinea-Prunus spinosa scrub; forest clearing communities (Sambucetum racemosae, Epilobietea angustifolii).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grazed and cut montane calcareous shortgrass meadows (Gentiano-Koelerietum pyramidatae, Brominion erecti); Polygono-Trisetion meadows, Cynosurion meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields (wheat, spelt, barley), sometimes fodder beet and potato fields (Caucalido-Adonidetum, Euphorbia exigua community, Thlaspio-Veronicetum politae, altitudinal forms with Lapsana communis and Galeopsis tetrahit).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Perennial fringes with Chaerophyllum temulum, Arctium tomentosum, Chaerophyllum aureum.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Higher uplands as well as marginal Alps with steep slopes and plateaus
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane to altimontane (Germany 700 to 1000 m, Switzerland and France up to 1400 m)
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, dolomite, chalky clay (Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rendzines, terra fusca, lime-brown soils, parabrown soils; (rendzic leptosols; calcaric, eutric and chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy, more or less stone-rich, locally rocky
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to weakly alkaline
soil fertility
eutrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V1, V2, VI3d, VI4, VI(X)
average annual temperature
4,4-8 EC
average annual precipitation
700-1700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
14-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-5 to -1 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)
Many semi-natural stands are still relatively well preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Remnants of natural forests are generally worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Intensification of forestry, forest conversion, roadway development, in former days agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Semi-natural silviculture, creation of natural forest reservations.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Switzerland: Jura, Chasseral, Weißenstein among others; France: state forest de la Joux; Germany: Swabian Alps: BW 28 Kohltal near Zwiefalten (Baden-Württemberg).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Carles 1951; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Frey 1995; Moor 1952; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Oberdorfer (Hrsg.) 1992; Richard & Pautou 1982
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl and U. Bohn under use of documents by U. Bohn, O. Hegg, F. Klötzli, A. Noirfalise
