Title
Luzula sylvatica-fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba) of the Massif Central with Vaccinium myrtillus, Genista pilosa, partly with Lamium galeobdolon, Milium effusum, Poa chaixii, partly alternating with pine forests (Pinus sylvestris), locally beech and fir-beech forests with Scilla lilio-hyacinthus
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: eastern part of the Massif Centrals as far as to the Rhone: Mts. du Forez, Mts. du Velay, Cevennes, Mts. du Vivarais, Mts. du Lyonnais
area frequency
5 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Luzulo-Fagion; b) Scillo-hyacinthi-Fagetum sylvaticae (Braun-Blanquet 1952) Bolòs 1957, race of the Massif Centrals Lemée 1965.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Complex consisting of beech forests from various trophic regions with a sparse shrub layer and a herb layer with varying coverage. At high altitudes with a greater proportion of fir, particularly on wetter sites on northern and northeast slopes. Scattered Pinus sylvestris stands with heath species in the shrub layer (Calluna vulgaris, Cytisus scoparius, Juniperus communis) and Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Teucrium scorodonia, Jasione montana (presumably secondary forests).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, locally with Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus
Shrub layer
Sorbus aria, Sorbus aucuparia, Sambucus racemosa, Lonicera nigra, Ilex aquifolium
Herb layer
a) Luzula sylvatica, Luzula pilosa, Luzula nivea, Vaccinium myrtillus, Prenanthes purpurea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Galium saxatile, Digitalis purpurea, Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Senecio ovatus, Solidago virgaurea, Epilobium montanum, Athyrium filix-femina, Conopodium majus, selten Calamagrostis arundinacea, Polygonatum verticillatum; rich sites with Lamium galeobdolon, Milium effusum, Galium odoratum, Melica uniflora, Poa chaixii, Polygonatum multiflorum, Stellaria holostea, Pulmonaria affinis, Euphorbia hyberna, Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Scilla bifolia, Anemone nemorosa, Cardamine heptaphylla, Corydalis cava, Corydalis solida
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba; Luzula sylvatica, Luzula nivea, Vaccinium myrtillus, Prenanthes purpurea, Senecio ovatus, Digitalis purpurea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Galium saxatile, Conopodium majus, Poa chaixii, Polygonatum verticillatum; b) Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Cardamine heptaphylla, Euphorbia hyberna, Pulmonaria affinis, Galium odoratum, Lamium galeobdolon
Ecological variants
Forms of different trophic and humidity stages, with and without fir.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Calcareous beech forests with much Buxus sempervirens, Cephalanthera species, Hepatica nobilis, Genista hispanica, Mercurialis perennis.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Scilla lilio-hyacinthus beech and fir-beech forest on richer substrate; calcareous beech forests; Juniperus communis subsp. alpina scrub and tall-forb communities with Veratrum album, Trollius europaeus at peak locations; in high altitude ravines tall-forb-rich fir-beech forests and hardwood-rubble slope forests; raised bogs.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
subalpine vegetation of the Massif Centrals and the Cevennes (C18), soil-acidic mixed oak forests (F16), species-poor beech forests (F82), species-rich beech forests (F110, F139), downy oak forests (G42).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Large expanses of Pinus sylvestris plantations; forestry with Quercus petraea, Picea abies; in the north also Pseudotsuga menziesii, and partially Abies alba.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Shortgrass meadows (Nardus spp.) with Nardus stricta, Festuca brevipila, Phleum phleoides, Koeleria macrantha; expansive heaths with Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Senecio adonidifolius; mountain meadows with Trisetum flavescens, Meum athamanticum, Bistorta officinalis, Gentiana lutea, Campanula lanceolata, Dactylorhiza sambucina, Armeria arenaria.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Occasionally potato and rye cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Cultivation of medicinal plants and fruit shrubs.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Uplands
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
(submontane) montane-altimontane; 500-1500 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rocks (Tertiary, Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-poor brown soils, ranker, podzole; interspersed limestone-brown soils; (stony dystric and chromic cambisols, dystric leptosol; leptic podzoles)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, locally moist
soil reaction
strongly to weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, locally meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(IV)1, VI1, X
average annual temperature
7-10 EC
average annual precipitation
650-1800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
17-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
1-3 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only a few semi-natural stands are preserved, usually more or less degraded low forest and coniferous plantations or heaths.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural forest communities.
causes of endangerment
Timber harvesting, former pasturing, plantations of coniferous forests.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection and regeneration of semi-natural forest stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: top of the Mts. de la Madeleine (beech forest with numerous geophytes: Scilla lilio-hyacinthus, Allium victoriale, Meconopsis cambrica).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bonnot & Verdus 1984; Carles 1951; Dobremez, Lacassin & Mazars 1986; Dupias 1973; Lemée 1956; Rameau 1996c
Compiled by
C. Hettwer referring to the Carte de la végétation de la France, Nr. 47 (Mâcon), 53 (Lyon), 59 (Le Puy), 66 (Avignon), completed by U. Bohn after J.-C. Rameau
