Title
Piedmontese-Insubrian mixed chestnut-oak forests (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Castanea sativa) with Luzula pedemontana, Luzula nivea, Hieracium tenuiflorum, Phyteuma betonicifolium
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Italy: Piedmont, Liguria; Switzerland: Tessin
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Hieracio tenuiflori-Quercetum Oberdorfer 1964, (Querco-Betuletum insubricum Ellenberg apud A. Hofmann 1961), Phyteumo betonicifoliae-Quercetum castanosum Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Species deficient, three (to four) layered mixed oak forests which are now often dominated by sweet chestnut (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur); sparse shrub layer (10-15 %). The herb layer (on average 75 % coverage) is dominated by acidophytes. Polytrichum formosum sets the tone in the sparse moss layer. In "richer" forms that transcend into Carpinion communities Querco-Fagetea species occur more frequently. The combination of subatlantic, central-European, pre-alpine and sub-Mediterranean floral elements is characteristic for the unit. In recent times there has been a spontaneous naturalisation of evergreen exotic (laurophyllic) trees gardens and parks.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Castanea sativa (anthropogenous), locally admixed Quercus pubescens, Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Tilia cordata, Prunus avium, Populus tremula
Shrub layer
Young growth of trees, Frangula alnus, Cytisus scoparius, Corylus avellana, Sorbus aria, Sorbus aucuparia, Crataegus spp.
Lianas
Rubus fruticosus agg.
Herb layer
Molinia arundinacea, Pteridium aquilinum, Solidago virgaurea, Melampyrum pratense, Teucrium scorodonia, Hieracium tenuiflorum, Phyteuma betonicifolium, Luzula nivea, Luzula pedemontana, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula pilosa, Carex pilulifera, Calluna vulgaris, Festuca filiformis, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Hieracium umbellatum, Potentilla erecta, Agrostis capillaris, Veronica officinalis, Festuca heterophylla, Viola riviniana, Holcus mollis, Blechnum spicant, Oxalis acetosella, Fragaria vesca; richer formations with: Anemone nemorosa, Viola reichenbachiana, Polygonatum multiflorum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Primula acaulis, Salvia glutinosa, Hepatica nobilis, Dryopteris filix-mas, Campanula trachelium, Euphorbia dulcis; thermophilous formations with: Anthericum liliago, Vincetoxicum officinale, Tanacetum corymbosum, Cruciata glabra, Silene nutans, Polygonatum odoratum, Hieracium glaucinum, Silene rupestris, Lathyrus linifolius
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Polytrichum formosum, Leucobryum glaucum, Dicranella heteromalla
Diagnostically important species
Castanea sativa, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur; Cytisus scoparius; Luzula nivea, Luzula pedemontana, Hieracium tenuiflorum, Teucrium scorodonia, Melampyrum pratense, Phyteuma betonicifolium, Molinia arundinacea, Pteridium aquilinum
Ecological variants
Fern-rich, nutrient-richer and thermophilous forms (Cruciato glabrae-Quercetum castanosum Ellenberg & Kloetzli 1972).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Piedmont there are forms with Luzula pedemontana, Quercus pubescens, Quercus cerris.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Arunco-Fraxinetum castanosum on moister and richer sites; Stellario-Alnetum; Luzulo niveae-Fagetum on debris slopes and at higher altitudes.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce-fir forests (D29), pedunculate oak-hornbeam forests (F45), species-poor beech and fir-beech forests (F101), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F129, F141), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G12), mixed downy oak forests (G39, G40, G44, G48), pine forests (K1), alluvial forests (U15).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Sweet chestnut low forest (Palina) with a rotation time of 15-20 years, sweet chestnut-nut groves (Selva); Douglas fir, Pinus strobus plantations, Sarothamnus scrub, Pteridium aquilinum stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Festuca and Agrostis meadows and pastures; Calluna heaths (Cytiso hirsuti-Callunetum), Diantho seguieri-Peucedanetum oreoselini and other Origanetalia communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Rye, potato, corn, wheat, rape.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Arction communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Steep, shallow, sometimes rocky slopes and mountain ridges of the southwest marginal Alps as well as the Alpine foothills.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline, submontane (to montane); 100-550 (800) m
Geology (bedrock)
base-poor siliceous rocks (Precambrian, Palaeozoic), Early Tertiary and Pleistocene sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ranker, oligotrophic brown soils, base-poor and pseudogley-parabrown soils, podzoles; (stony dystric cambisols; dystric and gleyic luvisols; leptic podzols; dystric leptosols)
soil texture
sandy loam, grouany-stony, often shallow
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, locally periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV5(X), IV(VI)1, IV(VI)2
average annual temperature
10-14 EC
average annual precipitation
1300-2000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 20-25 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January 1-4 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
High precipitation in spring and autumn as well as dry periods in summer are typical for the Insubrian climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Greatly altered by man (introduction of the sweet chestnut), hardly any semi-natural forests are preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural chestnut-oak forests are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Low forest usage, sweet chestnut cultivation, afforestation with exotic tree species, agricultural land usage (pastures, crop fields), settlements, gardens, parks (naturalisation of exotic evergreens).
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and strict protection of semi-natural stands, sometimes cessation of usage and conversion to timber (high forest) forestry.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Switzerland: Tornicella, Bignasco, V. Morobbia.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Calluna heaths: Tornicella above Locarno, V. Colla (Switzerland).
Most important references (author, year)
Antonietti 1968; Barbéro & Ozenda 1979; Braun-Blanquet 1949/1950; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1972; Ellenberg & Rehder 1962; Hegg, Beguin & Zoller 1993; Hofmann 1961; Keller, Wohlgemuth, Kuhn, Schütz & Wildi 1998; Knapp 1953; Lüdi 1940/1941; Mayer 1974; Montacchini, Caramiello-Lomagno, Forneris & Piervittori 1982; Oberdorfer 1964; Pedrotti 1989
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová and F. Pedrotti, completed by F. Klötzli, revised by J. Pallas, U. Bohn
