Title
Irish pedunculate oak-ash forests (Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur) on rich basiphilous soils with Corylus avellana, Circaea lutetiana, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Veronica montana and ferns
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ireland: central lowland (also valleys of the mountainous country) and at the coast
area frequency
14 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Corylo-Fraxinetum veronicetosum and typicum (in the complex) Kelly & Kirby 1982.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mixed forests with dominant Fraxinus excelsior and Quercus robur; the tree layer on deeper soils is up to 20 m and taller; Ulmus glabra is a companion which has been substantially decimated by Dutch elm disease, Fagus sylvatica (often cultivated and naturalised). Also scattered Betula pubescens, Betula pendula, Prunus avium and locally Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus aria, Malus sylvestris, that sometimes form a second tree layer. The shrub layer is dominated by Corylus avellana, with Crataegus monogyna, Ilex aquifolium. The species-rich herb layer contains numerous prevernal bloomers and ferns, sometimes with dominating Hedera helix. The moss layer as features few species and a small degree of coverage, but increases to the west.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur, Ulmus glabra interspersed, Fagus sylvatica (introduced), Betula pubescens, Betula pendula, Prunus avium, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus aria
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Ilex aquifolium, Prunus spinosa, Euonymus europaea, Viburnum opulus, Salix caprea
Lianas
Hedera helix, Lonicera periclymenum
Herb layer
Arum maculatum, Circaea lutetiana, Hedera helix, Geum urbanum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Primula acaulis, Viola riviniana, Anemone nemorosa, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Sanicula europaea, Oxalis acetosella, Rubus fruticosus agg., Veronica chamaedrys, Fragaria vesca, Potentilla sterilis, Geranium robertianum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Dryopteris dilatata, Polystichum setiferum, Asplenium scolopendrium, Athyrium filix-femina
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Eurhynchium striatum, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Thamnobryum alopecurum, Thuidium tamariscinum, Fissidens taxifolius, Plagiomnium undulatum
Diagnostically important species
Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur; Corylus avellana; Arum maculatum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Sanicula europaea, Dryopteris filix-mas, Polystichum setiferum
Ecological variants
Moist form (in the west) with Carex sylvatica, Veronica montana, Lysimachia nemorum, Filipendula ulmaria
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Hygrophilous species, ferns and mosses become more frequent towards the west.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Alluvial forests, ash-alder forests, ash-hazel forests; raised bogs, lakes with freshwater reed-bank vegetation and tall sedge reeds.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
birch forests (C16), acidophilous oak forests (F1, F2), mixed oak-ash forests (F29, F32), dune vegetation (P5, P6), salt vegetation (P19), blanket bogs (S5), raised bogs (S8), vegetational complex of degraded lowland-raised bogs (T6, T7), alluvial and moist forests (U7, U23, U28).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Local plantations of beech, although they are only rarely exploited for the forestry industry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grazing and crop land is usually intensively managed; Centaureo-Cynosuretum Br.-Bl. & Tx. 1952, Lolio-Cynosuretum, Arrhenatheretum elatioris.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Wheat, barley, sugar beet.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Flat to undulating morainal landscape of the lowlands.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland; 0-200 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone superimposed by calcic boulders (Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
deep, base-rich brown soils and parabrown soils, locally gleys; (eutric cambisols; orthic luvisols; eutric gleysols)
soil texture
clayey, loamy, sandy, gravely
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, locally moist
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral (pH 5,8-6,8)
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(V)1, VI(V)2
average annual temperature
9-10 EC
average annual precipitation
750-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
14-16 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
4-6 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
High danger of late frosts.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only small fragments of the original forest remain preserved. There is a continuous risk from the clearing and selective logging of old trees.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Rare and protected species: Acinos arvensis, Cardamine impatiens, Galeopsis angustifolia, Carex depauperata, Hypericum hirsutum, Stachys officinalis, Vicia oroboides.
causes of endangerment
Reclamation of land for agricultural use, clearing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of forest clearing and transformation, protection of representative semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Some small stands on moraine ridges are suggested for a nature reserve, further the stands in the Killarney National Park are under protection. Unprotected stands in private ownership like Charleville, Co. Offaly.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
old grassland on glacial gravel ridges (esker) and on unfertilized farmland.
Most important references (author, year)
Cross 1992; Kelly & Kirby 1982
Compiled by
J.R. Cross
