Title
Southwest Central European calciphilous beech and fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) in combination with Sesleria-beech forests, locally dry pine forests (Pinus sylvestris)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Switzerland: main distribution in the northern Kettenjura, further small-scaled in the northern pre-Alps and limestone-marginal Alps (not on the map); France: Jura (border region to Switzerland); Germany: southwestern Swabian Alps and Hegau
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Hordelymo-Fagetum Kuhn 1937, Dentario heptaphyllae-Fagetum (Moor 1952) Th. Müller 1966 (syn.: Abieti-Fagetum typicum Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972, formation with Carex alba), Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952, Seslerio-Fagetum Moor 1952, Cytiso nigricantis-Pinetum Br.-Bl. 1932.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Complex of mesophilous lime-beech and fir-beech forests, thermophilous lime-beech forests and xerophytic pine forests on rocky limestone sites.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
predominately Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus admixed, Fraxinus excelsior, locally Abies alba, Quercus petraea, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus torminalis, Acer opalus
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Lonicera xylosteum, Rosa pendulina, Lonicera alpigena; thermophilous formations: Viburnum lantana, Cornus sanguinea, Ilex aquifolium, Ligustrum vulgare, Rosa arvensis, Daphne laureola, Juniperus communis
Lianas
locally Hedera helix
Herb layer
Hordelymus europaeus, Galium odoratum, Cardamine heptaphylla, Carex sylvatica, Lamium montanum, Mercurialis perennis, Lathyrus vernus, Asarum europaeum, Euphorbia amygdaloides; thermophilous formations: Carex alba, Carex montana, Carduus defloratus, Cephalanthera alba, Laserpitium latifolium, Sesleria albicans, Calamagrostis varia, Helleborus foetidus, Melittis melissophyllum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris; Ilex aquifolium; Hordelymus europaeus, Dentaria heptaphylla, Polygonatum verticillatum, Petasites albus; Carex alba, Sesleria albicans, Carex humilis
Ecological variants
Broad spectrum of fresh, shaded-side to xerothermic forms. Dry pine forest on shallow-soil to rocky limestone sites: Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus aria; Cytisus nigricans, Juniperus communis, Viburnum lantana; Carex humilis, Carex alba, Sesleria albicans, Anthericum ramosum, Polygonatum odoratum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Hippocrepis comosa, Peucedanum cervaria, Peucedanum oreoselinum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the Swabian Alps it is for the most part without Abies alba, Pinus sylvestris, Carex alba and Daphne laureola.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Carici-Fagetum, Seslerio-Fagetum, Taxo-Fagetum, Abieti-Fagetum polystichetosum, Phyllitido-Aceretum, Arunco-Aceretum, Aceri-Tilietum, Cytiso nigricantis-Pinetum, Lithospermo-Quercetum, rock scrub (Cotoneastro-Amelanchieretum), dry grasslands (Teucrio-Seslerietum), scree vegetation (Rumicetum scutati, Gymnocarpietum robertiani).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F51), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F110, F113, F118, F129, F129a, F131).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Locally coniferous plantations, mesophilous to thermophilous scrub (Berberidion).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Yellow oatgrass meadows (Polygono-Trisetion), meadow grasslands (Cynosurion), calcareous grassland (Brominion erecti).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Uplands with a highly mobile relief and steep slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to altimontane; 500-1400 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
humus carbonate soil, lime-brown soils, terra fusca; (rendzic leptosols; (stony) calcaric and eutric cambisols)
soil texture
loam, mostly grouany to stony, often shallow
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral to weakly alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI4, VI(X)3
average annual temperature
7-9 EC
average annual precipitation
1000-1300 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
16-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-2 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)
Semi-natural stands are still relatively frequent.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Xerothermous wooded to open sites are characterised by a high species diversity, rare and endemic or relict plant species and communities.
causes of endangerment
Conversion into coniferous plantations, networking of forest roadways/paths; tourism, mountain climbing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of all semi-natural stands, particularly on extreme sites.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Switzerland: numerous regions in the northern Swiss Jura; Germany: Upper Donau valley.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Burger 1982; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974
Compiled by
F. Klötzli, U. Bohn
