Title
Northwest Pannonian thermophilous oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur) with Primula veris, Carex michelii, Pulmonaria mollis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Czech Republic: south Moravian-Pannonian region; Slovakia: south Slovakia Trnavská sprašová pahorkatina, Štiavnické vrcky (Steinitzer mountains), Burda; Austria: Lower Austria (Weinsektor, Marchfeld, not shown on the map)
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Primulo veris-Carpinetum Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová ex Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1964, (syn.: Polygonato latifolii-Carpinetum J. Michalko & Dñatko 1965).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Two- to three-layered mixed forests with dominant Carpinus betulus and both oak species (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur), with many thermophilous species in the species-rich shrub and herb layers. The herb layer contains grasses (Melica uniflora, Poa nemoralis) and herbs (Convallaria majalis, Galium sylvaticum, Galium odoratum). The moss layer is insignificant.Fagus sylvatica, Carex pilosa and other Fagetalia and Fagion species of the Carici pilosae-Carpinetum are absent. Thermophilous Quercetalia pubescentis species act as good differential species, e.g. Cornus mas, Pulmonaria murinii, Sorbus torminalis.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Acer campestre
Shrub layer
Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Euonymus verrucosa, Ligustrum vulgare, Rhamnus cathartica, Sorbus torminalis, Ulmus minor
Herb layer
Anemone ranuculoides, Campanula persicifolia, Campanula rapunculoides, Convallaria majalis, Melica uniflora, Poa nemoralis, Dactylis polygama, Festuca heterophylla, Galium sylvaticum, Galium odoratum, Geum urbanum, Lathyrus niger
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
mostly missing
Diagnostically important species
Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur; Cornus mas, Acer campestre, Euonymus verrucosa, Ligustrum vulgare, Rhamnus cathartica, Sorbus torminalis; Carex michelii, Carex praecox subsp. intermedia, Chamaecytisus supinus, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Polygonatum hirtum, Pulmonaria mollis, Serratula tinctoria, Viola mirabilis, Primula veris
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Slovakia, Galium sylvaticum remains limited to the region of the Lower Carpathians, while towards the east the species is replaced by Galium schultesii.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
On sunny slopes Quercion pubescenti-petraeae communities, on steep rubble slopes debris forests of the Tilio-Acerion, in wet hollows Pruno-Fraxinetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F20), sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F57, F58), oak- and pine-oak forests (G1), thermophilous pedunculate oak- and mixed sessile oak forests (G4, G7), alluvial forests (U9, U16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Oak-pine forestry, false acacia forestry; scrub of the Prunion spinosae, Berberidion.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Arrhenatherion, Cynosurion, Bromion erecti, Festucion valesiacae.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Crop field weed communities: Stellarietea mediae: Caucalidion lappulae, Eragrostion, Panico-Setarion, Veronico-Euphorbion.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Convolvulo-Agropyrion, Dauco-Melilotion, Galio-Alliarion.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Weakly inclined slopes, broad valleys and plains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline; 200-340 m; at sunny limestone slopes as high as 500 (600) m in the Carpathians
Geology (bedrock)
Pleistocene eolian sediments (bluff formation); lime-rich Tertiary sediments, eruptive rocks, limestone
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich, deep brown soils, partly parabrown soils, here and there degraded black earths consisting of bluff formation or Ca-rich Tertiary sediments, rarely gleyed; (luvic chernozems; eutric luvisols; eutric and humic cambisols)
soil texture
loamy, loamy-clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)1, VI9b
average annual temperature
8-10 EC
average annual precipitation
500-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January < -2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
In loess hilly country on cooler sites in soil hollows.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Because of the excellent agricultural usefulness of the sites (particularly in the loess hills), most areas have been transformed into arable land. Their state of preservation in the Carpathian foothills is better, whilst in the loess hills only small forest remnants remain preserved (hunting grounds for pheasants).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection. On the Parndorfer Platte in Austria Veratrum nigrum is remarkable. In Martinský les near Senec Iris variegata, Hesperis tristis and Phlomis tuberosa.
causes of endangerment
Cultivation of non-indigenous tree species, formerly clearing for agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and restoration of semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Austria: national park Thayatal; Slovakia: Senec í Martinský les, Sereé í les Dubník, Naturreserwát Burda.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Mucina, Grabherr & Wallnöfer (Hrsg.) 1993; Moravec, Husová, Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1982; Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1968
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová, completed by Š. Maglocký
