Title
((Atlantic-)subatlantic Luzula luzuloides-(sessile oak-)beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea) with Ilex aquifolium, Teucrium scorodonia, Lonicera periclymenum
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Argonne, Ardennes, Alsace, southwestern foreland of the Vosges; Luxemburg; Belgium: Ardennes; Germany: Rheinisches Schiefergebirge (Hunsrück, Eifel, Taunus, Westerwald, Sauerland), Odenwald
area frequency
19 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel 1937, colline-submontane high altitude form.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Tall beech forests with a very open undergrowth (except in the regeneration phase) and a very interspersed herb layer consisting of acidophytes; the moss layer is varied. Dominance of Fagus sylvatica (with a growth height of 25-32 m) with minor additions of Quercus petraea.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, isolated with Quercus petraea, Acer pseudoplatanus
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Sambucus racemosa, Corylus avellana very scattered
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum
Herb layer
Luzula luzuloides, Luzula sylvatica, Deschampsia flexuosa, Carex pilulifera, Holcus mollis, Teucrium scorodonia, Melampyrum pratense, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Oxalis acetosella, locally Festuca altissima, Athyrium filix-mas, Gymnocarpium dryopteris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Polytrichum formosum, Dicranum scoparium, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Hypnum cupressiforme, Dicranella heteromalla, Pleurozium schreberi, Thuidium tamariscinum, Scleropodium purum, Hylocomium splendens
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica; Luzula luzuloides, Carex pilulifera, Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamagrostis arundinacea and Festuca altissima as differential species towards the Atlantic Ilici-Fagetum. Lonicera periclymenum, Teucrium scorodonia
Ecological variants
Edaphic and exposure-conditioned forms:- typical on normal sites;- milietosum on mesotrophic and deep-soil sites, differentiated by Milium effusum, Oxalis acetosella, Poa chaixii, Polygonatum multiflorum and sometimes Lamium galeobdolon, Anemone nemorosa;- festucetosum with Festuca altissima on shady slopes with accumulation of foliage;- dryopteridetosum with Dryopteris filix-mas, D. dilatata, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Senecio ovatus on loamy soil in shaded locations;- vaccinietosum with ample Deschampsia flexuosa, Vaccinium myrtillus and Leucobryum glaucum on stony and shallow soils on slopes and mountain ridges of quartz sandstone; corresponds to Luzulo-Fagetum leucobryetosum;- athyrietosum with Athyrium filix-femina, Deschampsia cespitosa, Molinia caerulea, Agrostis stolonifera, Carex remota, C. ovalis, C. pallescens and the rare Carex binervis on seeping to waterlogged, less porous soils, corresponds to Luzulo-Fagetum deschampsietosum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Luzulo-Fagetum of the Ardennes and the Rhine valley with occurrences of Ilex aquifolium; Polygonatum verticillatum on the slopes of the Maas valley in the Ardennes descending to 300 m.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Belgium: ravine forests with Ulmus glabra and Acer pseudoplatanus on shaded slopes of the deeply cut valleys. At rivers with heavy currents there are aquatic communities with Ranunculus penicillatus and different water starwort species as well as riverside alder forests of the Stellario-Alnetum. In wide valleys occasionally Carici elongatae-Alnetum. The rarer Carici laevigatae-Alnetum is restricted to regions along stream courses at the highest locations of the Ardennes. On higher plateaus there are also small-sized ombrogenous peatbogs as well as stands of the Betuletum pubescentis, at the western extreme of the Ardennes there are bogs with Myrica gale and Osmunda regalis; Germany: tufted hairgrass-woodrush-beech forest, acidophilous sessile oak forest (Luzulo-Quercetum), wet oak-beech forest (Fago-Quercetum), stitchwort-oak-hornbeam forest (Stellario-Carpinetum), wood stitchwort-alder forest (Stellario-Alnetum).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous mixed oak forests (F9, F18), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F34, F35, F36, F50, F51, F52), species-poor beech and mixed beech forests (F77, F84, F85, F90, F93), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F107, F110, F111, F113, F128, F142).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous plantations prevail (they have arisen as a result of the afforestation of grazed heaths since 1850 and the transformation of degraded low forest). Primarily spruce, also Douglas fir, pine, Japanese larch or its hybrid with the European larch, occasionally Abies alba, Abies grandis etc.; Oak low forest with Vaccinium myrtillus. Pioneer forests on forest clearings (Digitalo-Sambucetum racemosae), Lonicera periclymenum-Sorbus aucuparia forest mantle, Cytisus scoparius scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures and meadows: Lolio-Cynosuretum, Alchemillo-Cynosuretum, Alchemillo-Arrhenatheretum; with extensive use: Genista-Calluna heaths, Nardus grassland.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal cultivation, such as that for barley and the brewing industry is widespread: Galeopsio-Aphanetum, Lapsano-Fumarietum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
On high plains: bocage with high beech hedges.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly and mountainous country, plateaus, relief cleaved by valleys
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 100-500 m
Geology (bedrock)
slate sandstone, quartz sandstone, laminated clay, sand-, silt-, clay stones, clay slate, grauwacke, Quarzit (Jurassic, Triassic, Permian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Cambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-poor brown soils and parabrown soils (partly podzolized), locally ranker; ((stony) dystric cambisols; dystric luvisols, leptosols)
soil texture
loamy sand to silty loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, locally stagnating moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic (to mesotrophic)
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2, VI(V)2
average annual temperature
France/Belgium/Luxemburg: 10-11 EC; Germany: 7,7-9,9 EC
average annual precipitation
France/Belgium/Luxemburg: 1000-1200(1300) mm in dependance to the sea level; Germany: 550-1300 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
France/Belgium/Luxemburg: July 15-17 EC; Germany: 14-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
France/Belgium/Luxemburg: January 0-1 EC; Germany: -2 to 2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Subject to protection in numerous areas. beech forests still occur in extensive stands, but coniferous plantations predominate; in Germany: greatly endangered to endangered.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Luzulo-Fagetum in different formations.
causes of endangerment
Low forest use (bark peeling), transformation into coniferous plantations, agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of representative stands through protective measures. Usage must take second place to protection.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France, Belgium, Luxemburg: large beech forests near St. Hubert and Anlier; Germany: primeval forest reserve Limker Strang, primeval forest reserve Schullermann (Lower Saxony), Aspenstrauch, Felsberg near Reichenbach (Hessen), primeval forest cell Naunmer Berg, primeval forest cell Hellenberg, nature reserve Siebengebirge (e. g. Petersberg), primeval forest cell Schäferheld, primeval forest cell Unterer Rosenberg (North Rhine-Westphalia), Ellerspring in the Soonwald (Rhineland-Palatinate).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Noirfalise 1984; Noirfalise & Vanesse 1956; Trautmann (Red.) 1973
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise; U. Bohn
