Title
(Fir-)beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, partly Abies alba) of the Massif Central and Cevennes with Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Luzula nivea, Conopodium majus, Euphorbia hyberna
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Massif Central and its western as well as southern slopes (Mt. Dore, Cantal, Mts. d´Aubrac, Mts. du Velay, Lévezou), southern Cevennes (Mts. de Lacaune, Sidobre Espinouse, Montagne Noire)
area frequency
7 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Scillo lilio-hyacinthi-Fagetum (Braun-Blanquet 1952) Bolòs 1957, Rasse des Massif Centrals Lemée 1956 (syn.: Scillo-Abietetum).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Closed beech and fir-beech forests with Abies alba and Acer pseudoplatanus, with a poorly distinctive shrub layer and a species-rich, often contiguous herb layer that contains many demanding species, a number of geophytes, as well as montane tall-forbs.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, locally admixed Abies alba, interspersed Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus aria, Sambucus racemosa, Lonicera nigra, Daphne mezereum
Herb layer
Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Cardamine heptaphylla, Euphorbia hyberna, Pulmonaria affinis, Conopodium majus, Luzula nivea, Luzula sylvatica, Prenanthes purpurea, Polygonatum verticillatum, Lamium galeobdolon, Milium effusum, Poa chaixii, Galium odoratum, Melica uniflora, Mycelis muralis, Scilla bifolia, Corydalis solida, Cirsium erisithales, rarely Hordelymus europaeus, Doronicum austriacum, Doronicum pardalianches, Streptopus amplexifolius, Actaea spicata, Lilium martagon
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba; Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Cardamine heptaphylla, Pulmonaria affinis, Euphorbia hyberna, Conopodium majus, Calamintha grandiflora
Ecological variants
High altitude form with Abies alba, sometimes in pure stands and with numerous tall forbs (Ranunculus aconitifolius, Adenostyles alliariae, Allium victorialis, Polygonatum verticillatum, Cicerbita plumieri, Lunaria rediviva, Epilobium duriaei, Calamintha grandiflora, Angelica sylvestris, Stellaria nemorum, Senecio ovatus, Crepis paludosa, Chaerophyllum hirsutum subsp. villarsii, Astrantia major); rich forms with Isopyrum thalictroides; poor acidic forms with Luzula sylvatica, Blechnum spicant.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the south with sub-Mediterranean elements; on eastern slopes without Atlantic species.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Luzulo-Fagetum as well as Deschampsio-Fagetum on partly podzoleised soils originating from silicate rocks; scattered montane bogs with Sphagnum spp., Vaccinium oxycoccos, Eriophorum vaginatum, Carex limosa and acidic fens with Juncus filiformis, Juncus alpinus, Gentiana pneumonanthe, Menyanthes trifoliata, Salix repens; scree vegetation with Petasites albus.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Subalpine and oroMediterranean vegetation (C18), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F82, F92), species-rich beech- and fir-beech forests (F139), mixed downy oak forests (G41, G42).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce, Douglas fir plantations; afforestation with common (Scots) pine particularly in the Gévaudan; on basalt scarps there is scrub consisting of Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus avellana, Acer campestre, Sorbus aria, Viburnum lantana, Prunus spinosa and Crataegus spp.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Heaths with Calluna vulgaris, Genista pilosa, Genista tinctoria, Chamaespartium sagittale, Cytisus scoparius, Vaccinium myrtillus, Arnica montana, locally Cytisus oromediterraneus in dry heaths; meadows with Arrhenatherum elatius, Briza media, Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sphondylium, Myrrhis odorata, Trollius europaeus, Narcissus poeticus, in wet meadows Veratrum album and Geum rivale; rough pasture with Agrostis spp., Cynosurus cristatus, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Poa chaixii, Nardus stricta. Grasslands at basalt scarps with Brachypodium pinnatum, Eryngium campestre, Astragalus glycyphyllos, Helleborus foetidus, Ononis spinosa, lutea, Dianthus superbus.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Occasional rye and potato cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Uplands with sometimes steep to rocky slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane, altimontane; 700-1500 m
Geology (bedrock)
volcanic rocks (Tertiary, Pleistocene), siliceous rock (Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
andosols, mull-brown soils, ranker; (ochric andosols; entric and humic cambisols)
soil texture
loamy, clayey, often stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, locally moist
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
(oligotrophic) mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(IV)1, VI1, X(VI)
average annual temperature
6-10 EC
average annual precipitation
1200-2000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 8-15 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -5 to 0 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural stands especially at higher altitudes are only preserved in small patches. In part they have been afforested with coniferous trees.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Glacial relicts in raised bogs areas: Pinus uncinata, Ligularia sibirica, Andromeda polifolia.
causes of endangerment
Formerly forest clearing and grazing, afforestation with introduced tree species.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and protection of semi-natural stands, promotion of beech stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: Cantal: forest of Lioran with many very rare fir trees, overgrown by Usnea barbata; fir-beech forests (Arnac)?.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Dupias & Lavergne 1968; Lemée 1956; Ozenda 1985; Ozenda 1988
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise, C. Hettwer based on documents by J.-C. Rameau, revised by U. Bohn
