Title
Corsican beech and fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) with Pinus nigra subsp. laricio, Galium rotundifolium, Luzula pedemontana
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Corsica, from the Massiv San Petrone as far as to the plateau Coscione in the Massiv l'Incùdine
area frequency
1 Polygone.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Poo balbisii-Fagetum sylvaticae Gamisans 1977, Fagetum sylvaticae corsicum Litardière 1928b.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered dense beech or fir-beech forests with admixtures of Pinus nigra subsp. laricio, while Taxus baccata and Ilex aquifolium are present locally in the understorey; a mostly weakly developed, but species-rich herb layer with numerous Fagetalia and Querco-Fagetea species as well as acidophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, locally admixed Pinus nigra subsp. laricio
Shrub layer
Taxus baccata, Ilex aquifolium
Herb layer
Poa balbisii, Luzula nivea, Luzula pedemontana, Veronica officinalis, Galium rotundifolium, Athyrium filix-femina, Festuca heterophylla, Galium odoratum, Helleborus lividus subsp. corsicus, Cyclamen repandum, Cyclamen hederifolium, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Mycelis muralis, Crocus corsicus, Pyrola chlorantha, Neottia nidus-avis, Monotropa hypopitys, partly Blechnum spicant, Carex remota, Carex microcarpa
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Pinus nigra subsp. laricio; Poa balbisii, Luzula nivea, Luzula pedemontana, Luzula forsteri, Neottia nidus-avis, Galium rotundifolium, Crocus corsicus, Cyclamen repandum, Cynosurus effusus, Helleborus lividus subsp. corsicus
Ecological variants
Three subassociations: a) fagetosum at (900)1000-1600(1800) m altitude, b) athyrietosum on wet soils, c) abietosum on more extreme sites regarding water balance.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Galio-Pinetum laricionis Gamisans 1977 in different subassociations: with Luzula pedemontana, Anthyllis hermanniae and Genista salzmannii as well as Erica arborea; brookside alder forests with Alnus cordata and Alnus glutinosa, subalpine fir forests (Valeriano-Abietetum Gamisans (1975) 1977 with Acer pseudoplatanus, Sorbus aucuparia, Luzula luzulina, Vaccinium myrtillus, Gelium rotundifolium and tall-forb vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
flowering ash-downy oak forests (G43), thorn-cushion vegetation (N1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Abies alba and Pinus nigra subsp. laricio stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Epilobietea angustifolii forest clearing vegetation. Carlinetea macrocephalae Gamisans 1977: Sagino-Caricetum Gamisans 1977, Bellidio-Bellion nivalis Gamisans 1977.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane to altimontane; (900) 1000-1600 (1800) m
Geology (bedrock)
granites, granodiorites, tonalits, rhyolites (Carboniferous, Permian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic mull-like mor-brown soils, ranker; (dystric cambisols; dystric leptosols)
soil texture
grouany to stony loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
9-10 EC
average annual precipitation
1500-1700 (1900) mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July/August 20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-4 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
3-6 months of snow cover.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
No details
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Corsica: Massif de Bavella, Mont de Cagna, Plateau d'Ovace, Massif de Rinosu, Mont de San Petrone and many others (see Gamisans 1977).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Dupias, Gaussen, Izard & Rey 1965; Gamisans 1977; Litadière de 1928; Rameau 1996c; Rameau 1997
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová after J. Gamisans 1977; C. Hettwer based on documents by J.-C. Rameau, revised by U. Bohn
