Title
Galium odoratum-fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba), partly with Picea abies, in southwest Central Europe and the north Alps
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: Alb-Wutach-region, western Albtrauf, northern ouliers of the Alps; Switzerland: northwestern margin of the Alps and its outliers; Austria: northern margin of the Alps
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Galio odorati-Fagetum with Abies alba, partly altimontane formation with Picea abies (syn.: Asperulo-(Abieti-)Fagetum Zukrigl 1973, Mayer 1974, Abieti-Fagetum Kuoch 1954 p.p., Galio rotundifolii-Abietetum sensu Pfadenhauer 1975 p.p.; Asperulo-Fagetum H. Mayer 1964); locally Galio rotundifolii-Abietetum Wraber (1955) 1959, Dryopterido-Abietetum Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972, Equiseto-Abietetum Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Two- to three-layered, very growthy fir-beech mixed forests that with age are dominated in height by conifers that lead in growth (Abies alba, sometimes Picea abies); apart from upgrowths of tree species the shrub layer is only weakly developed; species-rich herb layer consisting of hemicryptophytes and geophytes (herbs, grasses, sedges, montane and subalpine tall-forbs), primarily Fagetalia species, but always also a number of acid indicators and/or Vaccinio-Piceetalia species; a weakly developed moss layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba (locally dominating), Picea abies, Acer pseudoplatanus admixed, Ulmus glabra
Shrub layer
rejuvenation of the tree species, Lonicera nigra, Sambucus racemosa
Herb layer
Galium odoratum, Galium rotundifolium, Cardamine bulbifera, Cardamine trifolia (in the eastern part), Dryopteris filix-mas, Mycelis muralis, Viola reichenbachiana, Lamium montanum, Phyteuma spicatum, Carex sylvatica, Festuca altissima, Impatiens noli-tangere, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Milium effusum, Athyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris dilatata, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Blechnum spicant, Oxalis acetosella; locally indicators of moisture: Festuca gigantea, Lysimachia nemorum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Equisetum sylvaticum; montane tall forb: Polygonatum verticillatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Senecio ovatus, Petasites albus, Stellaria nemorum, Cicerbita alpina, Veronica urticifolia, Adenostyles alliariae; acidophilous species: Luzula luzuloides, Luzula sylvatica, Melica nutans, Vaccinium myrtillus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Atrichum undulatum, Plagiochila porelloides, Hypnum cupressiforme, Polytrichum formosum, Dicranum scoparium, Rhizomnium punctatum, Hylocomium splendens, Eurhynchium striatum
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba; Galium odoratum, Galium rotundifolium, Cardamine trifolia (missing in the west), Lamium montanum, Milium effusum, Polygonatum verticillatum, Prenanthes purpurea
Ecological variants
Subclassification according to trophy and soil moisture, water balance: as well as into fern-rich forms; low, middle and altimontane forms, of which the latter features Adenostyles alliariae, Luzula sylvatica, Homogyne alpina amongst others.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
With Cardamine trifolia from the eastern Ammer mountains eastwards.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Wet sycamore-ash forest (Aceri-Fraxinetum), montane slope scree forests (Ulmo-Aceretum), Alnetum incanae (brookside and riverside), cardamine-fir-beech forest (Dentario enneaphylli-Fagetum), sycamore-beech forest (Aceri-Fagetum), bedstraw-fir forest (Galio-Abietetum), berry shrub-pine-fir forest (Vaccinio-Abietetum), montane woodrush-beech forest (Luzulo-Fagetum).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
fir- and mixed fir forests (D24, D28), spruce forests (D35), species-poor beech forests (F85, F96), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F110, F113, F115, F116, F129, F129a, F130, F132, F133), dry alluvial pine forests (K3), tree-rich raised bogs (S11), alder-ash forests (U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Mostly spruce forests, displacement of fir by clear cutting and game browsing.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Primarily meadows (Cynosurion, Nardion, Poion alpinae), rarely cut meadows (Polygono-Trisetion); with intensive agricultural use: fodder meadows (Alchemillo-Arrhenatheretum, Geranio-Trisetetum) and pastures (Alchemillo-Cynosuretum); with extensive agricultural use: dwarf-shrub heaths and shortgrass meadows (Gentiano vernae-Brometum, Carlino-Caricetum sempervirentis, Nardion).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal: rye with Melandrietum noctiflori and Galeopsio-Aphanetum; root crops: potato with Thlaspio-Fumarietum and Galeopsio-Aphanetum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Rumicetum alpini on areas that are heavily eutrophic due to livestock manuring.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Higher uplands, upland-like marginal alps and foothills: slopes, hilltops, plateaus and basins
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
500-1400(1600) m
Geology (bedrock)
moraines of the Würm ice-age (Pleistocene), freshwater and sea molasse (Miocene, Oligocene); clays, chalky clay, limestone (Lias, Middle Triassic); flysch sandstone and chalky clay (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, partly base-poor brown soils, parabrown soils, partly pseudogleyed; rendzines, terra fusca, pelosols; (dystric and eutric cambisols; orthic and gleyic luvisols; rendzic leptosols; vertisols)
soil texture
loamy sand, sandy to clayey loam, clay, partly stony or containing rock debris
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to periodically moist, locally moist to wet
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic (rarely meso-eutrophic)
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI4, VI5, VI(X)3, X(VI)
average annual temperature
4-8 EC
average annual precipitation
1000-2500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-4,5 to -1,5 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Partly foehn and stagnation sites with violent summerly thunderstorms.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Beech and fir-rich stands have been greatly reduced and are endangered. Most have been transformed into spruce plantations.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Fir-rich stands are especially worthy of protection; further spring swamps and mires.
causes of endangerment
Transformation of semi-natural forests into coniferous plantations; game browsing; agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of the semi-natural remnants by various forms of protection; control of game populations, semi-natural silviculture, reincorporation of fir and beech into areas colonised by spruce.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: forest administration Kreuth (landscape reserve), district Bergen of the forest administration Siegsdorf (landscape reserve), Bauernwälder near Gaißach, district of Bad Tölz (landscape reserve), flysch of the Ammer mountains (Hoher Trauchberg in the nature reserve Ammergauer Alps), primeval forest reserve Gitschger and surroundings, primeval forest reserve Wertachhalde, primeval forest reserve Buchenhänge, primeval forest reserve Rohrhalde (Bavaraia), BW Untereck (Baden-Württemberg); Austria: stands in the Mondsee administration of forests (Upper Austria) and Lammerau (western Wienerwald, Lower Austria) of Austrian state forests; Switzerland: Vanil Noir, Napf, Rigi-Nordhang, St. Galler Upland.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Extensively cultivated Alpine maedows in the whole region.
Most important references (author, year)
Burger 1982; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Feldner 1978; Frey 1995; Mayer 1974; Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Oberdorfer (Hrsg.) 1992; Pfadenhauer 1975; Seibert 1968; Siede 1960; Strobl 1986; Zukrigl 1973
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl and U. Bohn under use of documents by F. Klötzli and J. Ewald
