Title
Provencal-Ligurian thermo- and mesophilous beech and fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) with Buxus sempervirens, Carex alba, Polygala chamaebuxus, Calamintha grandiflora, Geranium nodosum, partly Trochiscanthes nodiflora
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: southern French Limestone Alps (Baronnies, Mount Ventoux, Mtgne. de Lure, Lubéron, St. Baume), Provençal Alps, Alpes Maritimes; Italy: west Liguria
area frequency
32 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Calamintho grandiflorae-Fagetum Braun-Blanquet 1915, Trochiscantho nodiflorae-Abietetum Braun-Blanquet 1961, Trochiscantho-Fagetum Gentile 1973, Polygalo chamaebuxi-Fagetum (Bartoli 1966) Barbéro 1970.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Two- to three-layered beech forests, sometimes with fir, sycamore and other deciduous tree species. The shrub layer is mostly sparse, but better developed in thermophilous forms; herb layer with meso- to thermophilous species, while tall forbs recede. Mosses are sparse.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica predominating, referring to site and formation Abies alba admixed, Acer pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia platyphyllos, Acer opalus, Acer campestre, Sorbus aria
Shrub layer
in lowlands and thermophilous formations Buxus sempervirens, selten Ilex aquifolium, Taxus baccata, Amelanchier ovalis, Cotoneaster integerrimus, Hippocrepis emerus; in highlands Laburnum alpinium, Lonicera alpigena, Lonicera xylosteum, Rosa pendulina, Ribes alpinum
Herb layer
Calamintha grandiflora, Ranunculus aduncus, Geranium nodosum, Hordelymus europaeus, Galium odoratum, Viola reichenbachiana, Lathyrus vernus, Mycelis muralis, Sanicula europaea, Luzula sylvatica, rarely Athyrium filix-femina, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Trochiscanthes nodiflora, Prenanthes purpurea, Galium aristatum, Veronica urticifolia; Stellaria nemorum, Luzula nivea; in thermophilous formations: Carex alba, Polygala chamaebuxus, Campanula persicifolia, Epipactis microphylla, Epipactis leptochila, Cephalanthera spp., Festuca heterophylla, Melittis melissophyllum, Arabis pauciflora, Digitalis lutea, Helleborus foetidus, Campanula rapunculoides, Sesleria albicans
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Homalothecium lutescens, Atrichum undulatum
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica; Calamintha grandiflora, Ranunculus aduncus, Geranium nodosum, Trochiscanthes nodiflora
Ecological variants
Diverse forms depending on base content, water balance and altitudinal belt.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Beech forests in middle Provence are sometimes without fir but with Buxus sempervirens and Lavandula spp. as a sub-Mediterranean strain within the Cephalanthero-Fagion where precipitation is below 1000 mm in the more southerly mountain ranges (Lubéron, St. Baume); fir-beech forests in montane to altimontane localities (e.g. higher locations of the Lure mountains); with Picea abies where contact is made with the central and maritime Alps. Androsace chaixii-beech forest in the southwest of the range.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Thermophilous beech forests (e.g. Buxo-Fagetum) at lower and south-exposed localities, dry pine forests, dry calcareous grassland and rock communities, confluvial grey alder forests; limestone scree fans with Heracleum minimum in the north.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grassland (B44), larch-pine forests (C19), Pinus uncinata-forests (C22), species-rich fir-beech forests (F132), (mixed) downy oak forests (G41), flowering ash-downy oak forests (G44), holm oak forests (J17), pine forests (K1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
beech coppice without fir; open beech forests with Lavandula angustifolia as degradation stages; Pinus sylvestris forestry (Pino-Buxetum Lacoste 1967; Association du pin sylvestre Br.-Bl. 1915, Serie mesophile du Pin sylvestre Ozenda 1966 p.p.). Buxus sempervirens scrub; heaths with Juniperus communis subsp. alpina and Rhododendron ferrugineum as well as Ononis spinosa, Genista cinerea and Artemisia alba; the degradation stages resemble mesophilous pine forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous grassland (Brometalia) with Brachypodium pinnatum, Festuca brevipila, Koeleria spp.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountainous country, lower altitudes in the high mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane to altimontane; 800-1500(1700) m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate or base-rich rocks (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic; Permian, Cambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mull-brown soils, typical rendzines, limestone brown loam; (stony eutric and chromic cambisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
(weakly acidic), neutral, weakly alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X(IV)
average annual temperature
6-10 EC
average annual precipitation
700 to >1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
17-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to 2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Many semi-natural stands still remain preserved, although some have been either converted into low forest (coppice) or degraded to heaths and shortgrass meadows.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Stands with Taxus baccata or Ilex aquifolium; Cypripedium calceolus, Androsace chaixii as well as numerous endemic species in the natural accompagnying vegetation.
causes of endangerment
Deforestation, grazing, fire, low forest usage, firewood harvesting, coniferous forest plantation, agricultural usage (mostly pastures).
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the remaining semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: Baronnies, Ventoux, Lubéron, Lure, St. Baume; Alps west of Gap (Pic de Bure), pre-Alps near Digne, Alpes Maritimes (Val Roya); Italy: near Limonetto north of Colle di Tenda.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Braun 1915; Bresset 1975; Ozenda 1981; Ozenda 1988; Ozenda, Pautou & Portecop 1970; Rameau 1996c
Compiled by
C. Hettwer and U. Bohn based on documents by P. Ozenda, J.-C. Rameau, D. Korneck
