Title
South subatlantic sessile oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea), rich in thermophilous species, alternating with thermophilous mixed beech and oak forests (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea, Ulmus minor, Carpinus betulus, Tilia cordata, partly Quercus pubescens)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Berry, Bourgogne (Saône-plain), Côte d'Or, Rhone region above Valence; Germany: Upper Rhine (Kaiserstuhl), Neckar area (Stromberg, Heuchelberg)
area frequency
13 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
The mapping unit shows a vegetation complex consisting of several habitat-defined communities, which can occur in different combination: thermophilous Galio-Carpinetum Oberdorfer 1957, Carici-Fagetum Moor 1952, Lithospermo-Quercetum Braun-Blanquet 1932, Buxo-Quercetum Quantin 1935.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Forest complex of the colline-submontane belt on limestone of the brown Jura (Dogger) and the white Jura (Malm) mountains. South of the French Jura the unit presumably also includes the unit F53. Natural oak-hornbeam forests exist primarily as high forests. In the tree layer oaks (Quercus petraea), Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre and Tilia cordata dominate. In semi-natural forests many shrub species can indeed occur, but they do not form any distinctive shrub layer. The herb layer is species-rich and continuous, containing numerous thermophilous species. The moss layer is insignificant.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, Tilia cordata, Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus domestica, Sorbus aria, Prunus avium, Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior (scattered), additionally in the south: Quercus pubescens, partly Acer opalus, Acer monspessulanum
Shrub layer
Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus x macrocarpa, Rhamnus cathartica, Rosa arvensis, Daphne mezereum, Corylus avellana, Lonicera xylosteum, Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum lantana, Ligustrum vulgare, Berberis vulgaris, Prunus mahaleb, Amelanchier ovalis, Hippocrepis emerus
Lianas
Hedera helix, Lonicera etrusca in the south
Herb layer
Galium sylvaticum, Convallaria majalis, Carex montana, Festuca heterophylla, Potentilla sterilis, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Melittis melissophyllum, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Polygonatum odoratum, Helleborus foetidus, Teucrium chamaedrys, Carex flacca, Carex halleriana, Cephalanthera longifolia, Orchis purpurea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, Tilia cordata, Sorbus torminalis, Crataegus x macrocarpa; Festuca heterophylla, Lathyrus niger; Galium sylvaticum, Carex montana, Carex flacca, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Helleborus foetidus, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the south more Quercus pubescens, Acer opalus, Acer monspessulanum, Buxus sempervirens, Prunus mahaleb.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Germany: sedge-small-leaved lime forest (Carici-Tilietum); France: acidophytic oak forests with Quercus petraea and thermophilous species, e.g. Lathyrus niger, Hippocrepis emerus (Lathyro-Quercetum Richard 1961).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous mixed oak forests (F9, F16), oak- mixed hornbeam forests (F36, F51, F53), species-rich beech forests (F110, F113, F132), downy oak forests (G39), alluvial and moist forests (U8, U9, U20, U27).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Middle and low forests, privet-blackthorn scrub (Ligustro-Prunetum), heliophilous fringe communities, steppe heath (Geranion sanguinei), box scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous grassland of the Xerobrometum and Onobrychido-Brometum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Barley with Kickxietum; fodder beet with Setario-Veronicetum politae; vineyards with Geranio-Allietum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly and lower mountainous country, sometimes with steep slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline to submontane; 150-700 m
Geology (bedrock)
clay stones, chalky clay stones, limestone, limeous marl (Jurassic, Tertiary, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
pelosols, pseudogleys, brown soils, rendzines often sceletal; (eutric vertisols; eutric cambisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
clay and loam soils, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI1, VI4b
average annual temperature
9,5-11 EC
average annual precipitation
500-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
16-19 EC; France: July 18-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to +1 EC; France: January 0-2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Dry-warm summer months.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Few semi-natural stands, mostly structurally altered by land usage.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural forest communities, thermophilous species.
causes of endangerment
Timber harvesting, degradation, transformation into forestry, agricultural land usage, eutrophication by fertilisers and pesticide pollution.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of representative stands and regeneration by natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: Nature reserve Limberg (Baden-Württemberg).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Müller Th. & Oberdorfer 1974; Pautou (Red.) 1978; Richard & Pautou 1982
Compiled by
U. Bohn under use of details by A. Noirfalise
