Title
South subatlantic hygrophilous pedunculate oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur) with Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, partly Pulmonaria montana, in the southwest with Pulmonaria affinis, Pulmonaria longifolia, alternating with acidophilous oak forests (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Bourgogne, upper course of the Aube, Combrailles, Saône- and Limagne-plain (upper Loire), Comminges, Lauraguais
area frequency
15 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Stellario-Carpinetum Oberdorfer 1957 em. Passarge & Hofmann 1968, Quercion robori-petraeae Braun-Blanquet 1932.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mixed forests with a two-staged tree layer; upper tree layer dominated mostly by oaks, and occasionally also ash, while hornbeams form a second layer below. The shrub layer is moderately developed. In the herb layer there are hemicryptophytes and sometimes gramineous perennials. The moss layer is weakly developed or absent.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea
Shrub layer
Viburnum opulus, Euonymus europaea, Corylus avellana, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa
Herb layer
Rubia peregrina, Helleborus viridis subsp. occidentalis, Carex sylvatica, Carex umbrosa, Carex remota, Sanicula europaea, Viola reichenbachiana
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Carpinus betulus, Quercus robur; Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, partly Pulmonaria montana
Ecological variants
Meso-eutrophic forms of the Stellario-Carpinetum occur on luvisols with formation of ortstein.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the southwest with Pulmonaria affinis, Pulmonaria longifolia.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Acidophilous oak forests (Quercion robori-petraeae).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F9, F16), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F50, F51, F52, F53), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F82, F83), species-rich beech forests (F110, F113), mixed downy oak forests (G37, G39), alluvial and moist forests (U8, U9, U24, U25).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Middle and low forest stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
No details
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
The soils in the Limagne plain were completely dried out and used for the cultivation of fodder or other plants.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
In the Dombes, which are found in the south of the Saône plain, numerous small, artificial ponds were once present. They were sometimes employed for fish farming, and after removal of the water they were used for cereal cultivation. This form of usage of the wet soils is now on its way to becoming extinct.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Plains, long basins; near the Rhone with frequent glacial deposits as well as small ponds (the Dombes region)
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline; 200-300 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian, fluviatile and glacial sediments (Pleistocene above Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mostly gleyed luvisols; luvisol with formation of ortstein (leached brown soils); (gleyic and orthic luvisols; eutric cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
wet to fresh
soil reaction
weakly acidic
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(IV)1, VI1
average annual temperature
11-13 EC
average annual precipitation
650-750 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January 0-2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
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
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Rameau 1996b
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise
