Title
(Atlantic-)subatlantic Deschampsia flexuosa-(oak-)beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Quercus petraea) with Lonicera periclymenum, Maianthemum bifolium, Vaccinium myrtillus, partly Ilex aquifolium
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Great Britain: small-scaled in southeast England; Belgium: province of Limburg; Netherlands: in the eastern part of the country; Germany: large-scaled in the northwest German lowland between Rhine and Rügen, further Rhine-Main region, upper Rhine; France: northern Alsace (east of Hagenau)
area frequency
68 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
W15 Fagus sylvatica-Deschampsia flexuosa woodland (Rodwell 1991); Fago-Quercetum typicum Tüxen (1937) 1955 (= Deschampsio-Fagetum Passarge 1956); Maianthemo-Fagetum, Periclymenum-Rasse Passarge 1959, Trientali-Fagetum (Jeschke 1964) Tüxen & A. Matuszkiewicz 1964 em. (compare to Passarge & Hofmann 1968).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderate to well growing, cathedral forest like stands with a densely closed tree layer of Fagus sylvatica, sometimes with scattered oak. The shrub layer is usually almost absent, in old stands there are sometimes dense stands of Ilex aquifolium; species deficient, interspersed to sparsely developed herb layer (mainly hemicryptophytes, sometimes spring geophytes), and the moss layer is patchy, especially at the bases of trees (Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans is typical for this form).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, isolated admixed Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Betula pendula (in younger stands)
Shrub layer
Ilex aquifolium (locally in dense stands); isolated Sorbus aucuparia, Frangula alnus
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum
Herb layer
Deschampsia flexuosa, Carex pilulifera, Pteridium aquilinum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Melampyrum pratense, Agrostis capillaris, Holcus mollis, Veronica officinalis, Luzula pilosa, Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Trientalis europaea; in rich formations: Hedera helix, Anemone nemorosa, Milium effusum, Stellaria holostea, Polygonatum multiflorum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Mnium hornum, Polytrichum formosum, Dicranella heteromalla, Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Hypnum cupressiforme, Dicranum scoparium, Leucobryum glaucum
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica; Ilex aquifolium, Lonicera periclymenum; Deschampsia flexuosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Melampyrum pratense, Luzula pilosa, Carex pilulifera, Maianthemum bifolium; Pseudotaxiphyllum elegans, Dicranella heteromalla, Mnium hornum
Ecological variants
On poor dry and intermittently moist sites there is greater oak participation; on more argilliferous and base-richer sites there is a form with Anemone nemorosa, Milium effusum, Stellaria holostea.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the north-west part (particularly near the coast) with Ilex aquifolium, Galium saxatile, in southeast England locally with Taxus baccata, Ruscus aculeatus.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Great Britain: depending on the soils, mosaics with Galio odorati-Fagion forests, oak dominated Quercion forests (F8) and Carpinion forests (F32). At more disrupted sites regeneration with Ulici-Sarothamnion; Germany and Netherlands: golden millet-beech forest (Milio-Fagetum Hesmer & Schroeder 1963), moist birch-oak forest (Betulo-Quercetum molinietosum), moist oak-beech forest (Fago-Quercetum molinietosum), oak-hornbeam forest (Stellario-Carpinetum); wood melick/beech forest (Melico-Fagetum), alder carrs (Carici-Alnetum).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
soil-acidic oak forests (F8, F9, F11), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F35, F57), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F78, F80, F83), species-rich beech forests (F104, F107, F110, F113), dune vegetation (P5), salt vegetation (P22), raised bogs (S8), alder carrs (T1), mosaic of wet birch forests and wet heaths instead of degraded lowland-raised bogs (T5), alluvial and moist forests (U9, U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Oak stands, low oak forest, birch-pedunculate oak forests, beech-sessile oak forests; Betula pendula, Sorbus aucuparia, Populus tremula pioneer tree species; pine, spruce and red oak (Quercus rubra) plantations, often with Prunus serotina in the undergrowth.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Due to clearing, grazing and disease, a mosaic of Nardo-Callunetea heaths and shortgrass meadows arose which was used formerly as grazing ground, for cutting heather and bracken as fuel, or for producing livestock litter; today there are rye-grass meadows (Cynosurion) as well as Arrhenatherion meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Root crop and cereal fields (rye, potato) with Apera spica-venti, Arnoseris minima, Chenopodium album, Spergula arvensis-Echinochloa crus-galli, Spergula arvensis-Chrysanthemum segetum, locally Matricaria recutita, sporadically Aphanes arvensis and Papaver argemone communities.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Ulici-Sarothamnion scrub, Epilobietea tall-forb vegetation, Thero-Airetalia communities; broom-sandy heath, lichen sandy heath; bramble scrub.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Flat to gently undulating lowlands with a sandy subsoil
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland (-colline); 0-250 m
Geology (bedrock)
ground and end moraine as well as sands of the Weichsel- and Saale ice-age; alluvium blanket sands, valley and eolian sands, sand-bluff formation (Pleistocene, Holocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzoles as well as acidic, base-poor brown soils (partly podzolized or pseudogleyed), parabrown soils; (humic and leptic podzols; dystric cambisols; dystric and gleyic luvisols)
soil texture
pure to silty uad lightly loamsd sand, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, partly periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI1b, VI2, VI5a, VI(V)2, VI7a, VI7b, VI7c
average annual temperature
Great Britain: 9-10 EC; Germany: 7,9-8,5 EC
average annual precipitation
550-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
Great Britain: July 17-18 EC; Germany: 16-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
Great Britain: February 2-3 EC; Germany: January -1 to 2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural stands are relatively rare. Many forest stands have a tree layer altered by coppicing and forest grazing that has endured for centuries; it is without beech, which was replaced by Quercus robur (and less by Quercus petraea). Furthermore, many stands are planted and therefore feature an unnatural structure and composition in the tree layer.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Great Britain: few rare species, but a local forest type seen on a national scale, which has an interesting social-economic history and a high recreational value. Mosaics of Nardo-Callunetea- and Ulici-Sarothamnion-scrubs form a very attractive heath landscape. Frequently contains a rich fungal flora; rare for east Germany: Ilex aquifolium.
causes of endangerment
Lacking regeneration due to the low seed production, damage from wind battering; intervention through clear cutting extending to total upheaval; transformation of semi-natural forests into (conifer) plantations; modification and destruction of the habitats; tourism.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation by various types of protective measures. Usage can still continue, but protection should take priority. Certain conditions need to be created for restoring the semi-natural forests (e.g. promotion of natural regeneration; establishment of total reserves, changing over to less damaging forms of tourism).
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Great Britain: Belongings of the National Trust in The Weald; Netherlands: Norgerholt (nature reserve), Mantingerbos (nature reserve), Edese Bos (municipal cultivated forest area), Liesbos (nature reserve), Savelsbos (nature reserve); Germany: nature reserve Hahnheide, primeval forest reserve Baumgarten (Schleswig-Holstein), primeval forest reserve Lüßberg, Eich near Kettenburg (Lower Saxony), primeval forest cell Geldenberg, primeval forest cell Krummbeck (North Rhine-Westphalia), At the new clearing (Hessen), nature reserve Kriegholz, nature reserve Sonnenberg, nature reserve Westdarß and village of Darß and nature reserve Ahrenshoper Holz in the national park "Boddenlandschaft" (Mecklenburg-Hitherpomerania).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Germany: nature reserve Lüneburger Heide, biosphere reserve southeast Rügen.
Most important references (author, year)
Avery 1958; Fukarek 1961a; Heinken 1995; Krause & Schröder 1979; Passarge 1961; Passarge & Hofmann 1968; Peterken 1981; Rackham 1980; Scamoni (Hrsg.) 1964; Tubbs 1968; Werf van der 1991; Watt 1934; Watt & Tansley 1930
Compiled by
U. Bohn based on documents by J.S. Rodwell, U. Bohn, H. Schlüter and details by R. Haveman
