Title
North French oak forests (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur) with Mespilus germanica, Sorbus torminalis, alternating with Hyacinthoides non-scripta-oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: basin of Paris, regions north of the Loire
area frequency
7 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Mespilo-Quercetum petraeae Frileux 1975.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Acidophilous mesothermic oak forests with dominant Quercus petraea and Quercus robur in the tree layer; scattered Betula pendula and Castanea sativa (introduced). The shrub layer is sparse, the herb layer is largely continuous. The moss layer is well developed.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, admixed Castanea sativa (introduced), Sorbus torminalis, locally Fagus sylvatica
Shrub layer
Ilex aquifolium, Sorbus aucuparia, Mespilus germanica, Frangula alnus, Corylus avellana, Carpinus betulus
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum, Hedera helix, Rubus fruticosus agg.
Herb layer
Pteridium aquilinum, Melampyrum pratense, Solidago virgaurea, Agrostis capillaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Calluna vulgaris, Carex pilulifera, Molinia caerulea, Holcus mollis, Teucrium scorodonia, Hypericum pulchrum, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula forsteri (rarely), Hieracium umbellatum, Polypodium vulgare, Convallaria majalis, Stachys officinalis, Festuca heterophylla (rarely)
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Polytrichum formosum, Dicranum scoparium, Hypnum cupressiforme, Dicranella heteromalla, Pohlia nutans, Pleurozium schreberi, Leucobryum glaucum, Scleropodium purum, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Mnium hornum, different Cladonia species.
Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Sorbus torminalis; Mespilus germanica, Ilex aquifolium; Stachys officinalis, Vaccinium myrtillus and Digitalis purpurea very rare, Convallaria majalis on the other site frequent. Luzula forsteri and Festuca heterophylla only scattered.
Ecological variants
Typical form on dry, oligotrophic sites with Quercus petraea, Stachys officinalis, Veronica officinalis, Solidago virgaurea; Molinia form on intermittently moist oligotrophic sites with Quercus robur, Molinia caerulea, Luzula multiflora and Maianthemum bifolium; form with Viola riviniana on oligo-mesotrophic sites with Oxalis acetosella, Luzula pilosa, Stellaria holostea; both oak species form the tree layer here.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Endymio-Carpinetum on loess loam islands in the basin of the Oise; Fago-Quercetum with Fagus sylvatica, Sorbus aria, Vaccinium myrtillus, Maianthemum bifolium and Digitalises purpurea in the east; in the west Ilici-Fagetum of the Perche.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F4), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F34), species-poor beech forests (F76), species-rich beech forests (F106, F111, F112), alluvial and moist forests (U9, U24, U25).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forest pine, larch, spruce and Douglas fir, sweet chestnut forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Bocage pastures with pedunculate oaks (animal rearing); formerly heaths were distributed on gritty soils: dry heath with Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, Ulex europaeus, Cytisus scoparius, Genista anglica and Genista pilosa, on wind-blown sand with Corynephorus canescens or on fixed sands with Dianthus deltoides; wet heaths with Erica tetralix, Ulex minor, Genista anglica, peatmosses and Salix aurita; Molinia meadows with Gentiana pneumonanthe.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Slopes, plateaus, hills
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 100 to 250 m
Geology (bedrock)
Eocene sands in the Valois and in the region around Laon; sands and gravel layers in the basin of the Eure, the upper Loire and the lower Perche (Pleistocene, Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
typical and gleyed parabrown soils, typical podzoles; (orthic and gleyic luvisols; orthic podzoles)
soil texture
sandy, gravely
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
very acidic, acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(IV)2
average annual temperature
9-11 EC
average annual precipitation
600-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 16-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January 3-4 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
Protection and regeneration of the remaining semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Jovet 1949; Frileux 1975; Lavergne & Bournerias 1971; Rameau 1996b
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise; C. Hettwer based on documents by J.-C. Rameau; revised by J.R. Cross, J. Pallas, U. Bohn
