Title
Aquitanian pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur), partly with Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus suber, Pinus pinaster, with Erica scoparia, Erica ciliaria, Rubia peregrina, Arenaria montana, Pulmonaria longifolia, Carex arenaria
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Southwest France: Landes, valley of the Garonne and its affluents, Quercy, Dordogne, Saintouge
area frequency
25 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Lonicero periclymeni-Quercetum roboris Lapraz 1963b, b) Arbuto unedonis-Quercetum petraeae Lapraz 1963b.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
a) Open forests dominated by Quercus species (the participation of Quercus petraea in the natural vegetation is uncertain). Species-rich shrub layer, developed in two layers, consisting of woody and herbaceous acidophilous, mesophilous and thermophilous species. Well developed moss layer.b) In the Arbuto-Quercetum petraeae in the region of Entre-Deux-Mers the tree layer is dominated by Quercus petraea. The stands feature a luxuriant shrub layer with Abutus undeo and Laurus nobilis and a contiguous herb layer. The forests are found on dry southern and western slopes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
a) Quercus robur predominating, admixed Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus petraea?, Castanea sativa (introduced), scattered Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Sorbus torminalis, Prunus avium, Pinus pinaster, Quercus suber;
b) Quercus petraea predominating
Shrub layer
a) Young growth of trees, further Juniperus communis, Ilex aquifolium, Cytisus scoparius, Pyrus cordata, Corylus avellana, Frangula alnus, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Euonymus europaea, Cornus sanguinea, Mespilus germanica, Ligustrum vulgare;
b) Arbutus unedo, Laurus nobilis
lower shrub layer: Rubus caesius, Ruscus aculeatus, Erica cinerea, Ulex europaeus, Erica scoparia, E. ciliaris
Lianas
Hedera helix, Lonicera periclymenum, Tamus communis, rarely Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus ulmifolius (Gironde), Rosa sempervirens
Herb layer
acidophytes: Melampyrum pratense, Pteridium aquilinum, Solidago virgaurea, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia flexuosa, Carex pilulifera, Carex arenaria, Holcus mollis, Teucrium scorodonia, Hypericum pulchrum, Luzula forsteri, Pseudarrhenatherum longifolium, Pulmonaria longifolia, Festuca heterophylla, Arenaria montana; more demanding species: Hieracium umbellatum, Stachys officinalis, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Ranunculus nemorosus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Polytrichum formosum, Dicranum scoparium, Pleurozium schreberi, Leucobryum glaucum, Scleropodium purum
Diagnostically important species
Quercus robur, Quercus pyrenaica, Quercus suber; Pyrus cordata, Ruscus aculeatus, Rubus ulmifolius, Rosa sempervirens, Arbutus unedo. The mixture of south-Atlantic (Pseudarrhenatherum longifolium, Potentilla montana, Pulmonaria longifolia), west sub-Mediterranean (Arenaria montana, Simethis planifolia) and Mediterranean-Atlantic species (Tamus communis, Rubia peregrina, Asphodelus albus, Hypericum androsaemum, Erica scoparia) is characteristic.
Ecological variants
Ecological forms of the Lonicero periclymeni-Quercetum (according to Timbal 1988).a1) Typical form on dry soils is differentiated by Quercus pyrenaica, Pinus pinaster, Carex arenaria, Sorbus torminalis, Arenaria montana, Viola riviniana, Potentilla montana, Stachys officinalis, Euphorbia amygdaloides and Asphodelus albus.a2) Form on moist soils is differentiated by Populus tremula, Molinia caerulea, Agrostis stolonifera, A. rupestris, Holcus mollis.a3) Species-poorer form on podzoles with Betula pendula, Pinus pinaster and numerous heath-species: Erica scoparia, Erica cinerea, Calluna vulgaris etc.. This form prevails in the "countryside", where on coarse sands typical or gleyed podzoles have developed.a4) Form on moderately acidic soils with Carpinus betulus.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Local peatbogs with Sphagnum spp., Eriophorum gracile, Rhynchospora fusca and Myrica gale. Oligotrophic watercourses of the Aquitanian plain, oligotrophic alder forests with Alnus glutinosa, Salix atrocinerea, Carex laevigata and Osmunda regalis. Oligotrophic ponds with aquatic vegetation consisting of Lobelia dortmanna and Isoetes boryana (endemic). The plant stands of the large lakes of the Aquitaine are characterised by Trapa natans, Myriophyllum species, Nymphoides peltata and semiaquatic vegetation belts (Schoenoplectus lacustris, Phragmites australis, occasional Myrica gale thickets). The existence of natural heaths is uncertain.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F15, F16), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F36), species-poor beech forests (F82), species-rich beech forests (F137), downy oak forests (G37, G38), dune vegetation (P8), freshwater-tall sedge swamps (R1), alder carrs (T1), alluvial and moist forests (U8, U9, U25).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Small low forest or overaged middle forests; large pine plantations of Pinus pinaster, established for resin extraction. The heath landscape of Aquitane was afforested in order to fix the coastal dunes between 1797 and 1865. In old decalcified coastal dunes these formations occur spontaneously. In 1936 only a very small area of heathland remained. In more recent times heath afforestation has been reduced markedly by the occurrence of numerous fires. In pine plantations the pedunculate oak has survived in sufficient amounts as single trees; in contrast , the Pyrenean oak only exists in scattered form. Quercus rubra, Castanea sativa plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Since time immemorial the forests in Aquitaine have been replaced by grazed heaths with Ericaceae. These heaths are characterised by Ulex europaeus, Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea and Erica scoparia. On dry soils Danthonia decumbens, Genista anglica, Genista pilosa, Halimium lasianthum subsp. alyssoides and H. umbellatum also occur. On gleyed podzoles Ulex minor, Simethis planifolia, Erica tetralix, Erica ciliaris, Erica scoparia, Molinia caerulea, Dactylorhiza maculata, Potentilla erecta, Pedicularis palustris, Serratula tinctoria, Carex ovalis, Carex binervis and Asphodelus albus grow.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Before the second world war mixed cultivation of cereals (rye, wheat), fodder plants and vineyards; today there is intensive corn cultivation. In the Médoc and Entre-Deux-Mers world famous Bordelais wines are produced.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Usually pedunculate oaks were grown in the villages. Here one can find elements of the original forests.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Lowland plains and low hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 0-300 m
Geology (bedrock)
Eolian and fluviatile sediments (Pleistocene); Tertiary sands; (the Aquitanian plain has been filled up with course sands and gravel, which the wild rivers originating in the Pyrenees have deposited here)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-poor gray-brown podzolic soil, parabrown soils and podzoles, partly with formation of ortstein; humus types mull-like mor and mull-like dysmor
(Podzoles assumably already existed underneath the natural forest. But these have developed to podzoles with humus, ironpan underneath the heath vegetation. Sandy material of the Old Quaternary or of the Mio- or Pliocene (Young Tertiary) with gleyed, strongly impoverished luvisoles or podzoles in the Médoc. In the Entre-Deux-Mers and in the north of the Dordogne gleyed, impoverished luvisols above Oligocene sands; in the Armagnac and in the Béarn podzole-luvisols above Miocene substrates); (orthic and humic podzols; dystric podzoleluvisols; gleyic luvisols)
soil texture
sand, partly loamy, silty or gravely
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(V)1, V(IV)1
average annual temperature
12-13,5 EC
average annual precipitation
800-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 20-22 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January 4-6 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Summers are hot and moist, winters are mild.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural forest stands are rare (young high forests), partly low forest or overaged middle forests; the "countryside" represents the largest contiguous afforested region within France (12,000 km²).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural forest areas in the surroundings of Nérac (Armagnac); Occurrences of Quercus suber; oligotrophic ponds with Lobelia dortmanna, Isoetes boryana.
causes of endangerment
Summer forest fires, winter storms (wind damage); grazing, afforestation with conifers.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of semi-natural remnants and the Quercus pyrenaica sites; Protection of the characteristic heath areas and the coastal dunes.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: coast between Bayonne and Soorts-Hossegor: insular Quercus suber-stands.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
France: Parc Naturel Régional des Landes de Gascogne.
Most important references (author, year)
Botineau, Bouzillé & Lahondère 1990; Comps 1972; Izard et al. 1963; Lapraz 1962; Lapraz 1963a; Lapraz 1963b; Lascombes & Leredde 1955; Rameau 1996b; Timbal 1988
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise; C. Hettwer based on documents by J.-C. Rameau; revised by J.R. Cross, J. Pallas, U. Bohn
