Title
Southwest Central European altimontane beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) without Picea abies and Abies alba, with Acer pseudoplatanus, with Rumex arifolius in the Vosges
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: upper sites of the Vosges (Belchen)
area frequency
3 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Luzulo-Fagetum Meusel 1937, altimontane form; Aceri-Fagetum Rübel 1930 ex J. et M. Bartsch 1940.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Climatically conditioned low-growing (15-20 m) two-layered beech forest, at wind exposed locations krummholz stands with flags of moss and lichen hanging from the canopies; a well developed herb layer, characterised by acidophytes, mesotrophic beech forest species and montane-subalpine tall-forbs. The moss layer is mostly absent. Sorbus aucuparia stands characterise the pioneer stage.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica predominating, admixed Acer pseudoplatanus, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
Rubus idaeus, Lonicera nigra, Ribes petraeum
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula luzuloides, Poa chaixii, Oxalis acetosella, Anemone nemorosa, Stellaria nemorum, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Athyrium filix-femina, Athyrium distentifolium, Polygonatum verticillatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Senecio nemorensis agg., Rumex arifolius, Cicerbita alpina, Adenostyles alliariae, Digitalis purpurea, Ranunculus serpens
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
(epiphyte-synusia)
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus; Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Luzula luzuloides, Polygonatum verticillatum, Senecio nemorensis, Rumex arifolius, Cicerbita alpina, Athyrium distentifolium, Digitalis purpurea
Ecological variants
Poor form with Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa; mesophilous form with Anemone nemorosa, Oxalis acetosella, Stellaria nemorum, Poa chaixii, Festuca altissima; mesohygrophilous tall-forb-rich form on skeletal-rich, moderately steep slopes with a good water supply featuring Ranunculus platanifolius, Cicerbita alpina, Cicerbita plumieri, Epilobium duriaei, Epilobium alpestre.
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)
Rubble slope forests with Ulmus glabra, Tilia platyphyllos, Acer pseudoplatanus (Ulmo-Aceretum); ravine willow scrub (Salicetum appendiculatae); forest-poor tall grass vegetation (Sorbo-Calamagrostietum arundinaceae); subalpine dwarf-shrub heaths with Vaccinium uliginosum, Nardus stricta, Pulsatilla alpina and numerous other alpigenous species (Pulsatillo-Vaccinietum) on mountain tops of the "Haute Chaumes" (e.g. at Hocheck); chionophilous Luzula desvauxii grassland; Sibbaldia procumbens snow valleys; particularly along streams Adenostyles alliariae and Ranunculus aconitifolius tall-forb vegetation; fen and raised bog complexes.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous fir-beech forests (F93).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce forestry, pine stands on abandoned pastures with shallow soils, green alder plantations; dwarf shrub heaths with Vaccinium myrtillus.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grass mown meadows (Geranio-Trisetetum and/or Meo-Festucetum); silicate shortgrass meadows (Leontodonto helvetici-Nardetum).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Formerly alpine meadows (alm); today, winter sports.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Uplands: ridge locations
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane; 1000 to 1400 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (Triassic, Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, base-poor brown soils, partly podzolized; (stony dystric cambisols)
soil texture
loam soils, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
strongly to weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
5-6 EC
average annual precipitation
1500-2000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-14 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to -1 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Partly strongly wind-exposed, formation of fogs; often long enduring high snow blankets (effect: sabre form of the beech).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Still relatively well preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, earlier pasturing, forest transformation.
required measures for protection and restitution
Establishment of representative nature reserves.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
France: Vosges (Belchen).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
High Vosges.
Most important references (author, year)
Carbiener 1966; Carbiener 1969; Issler 1942; Oberdorfer (Hrsg.) 1992; Rameau 1996c
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise, C. Hettwer based on documents by E. Issler, E. Oberdorfer et al., J.-C. Rameau, completed by U. Bohn
