Title
Hercynian-north Carpathian altimontane spruce-fir-beech and spruce-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Picea abies) with Calamagrostis villosa, partly in combination with Calamagrostis villosa-spruce forests
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Germany: Further Bavarian Forest, Upper Palatinate Forest, High Fichtelgebirge, Erzgebirge, Thuringian Forest, high Harz; Czech Republic: Bohemian Forest, Sudetes, Bohemian-Moravian hights, west Beskides; Poland: Sudetes; Slovakia: High Tatras; Austria: Bohemian Massif (Waldsektor, Mühlsektor)
area frequency
32 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Calamagrostio villosae-Fagetum Mikyška 1972; Luzulo luzuloidis-Fagetum Meusel 1937, altimontane form with Abies alba and Picea abies, Hercynian vicariant with Calamagrostis villosa.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Multi-layered mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. The tree layer is often dominated by beech, the shrub layer is rarely present and features mainly upgrowths of tree species. The herb layer is interspersed and species-deficient, with spruce forest species and further acidophytes. The moss layer covers up to 40 % of the surface.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Picea abies, Acer pseudoplatanus, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
Young growth of tree species, Sambucus racemosa, Frangula alnus, Lonicera nigra
Herb layer
Calamagrostis villosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Lycopodium annotinum, Luzula luzuloides, Luzula sylvatica, Senecio ovatus, Poa chaixii, Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Homogyne alpina, Soldanella montana, Dryopteris carthusiana, Polygonatum verticillatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Galium rotundifolium, Athyrium filix-femina, Cardamine enneaphyllos, Petasites albus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Dicranum scoparium, Hylocomium splendens, Polytrichum formosum, Polytrichum commune, Pleurozium schreberi, Plagiothecium undulatum, Dicranella heteromalla
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Picea abies; Calamagrostis villosa, Prenanthes purpurea, Polygonatum verticillatum, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula luzuloides; Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Vaccinium myrtillus; Dryopteris dilatata, Huperzia selago, Galium saxatile
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the western Carpathians with Lonicera nigra.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Aceri-Fagetum, Bazzanio-Piceetum, natural tree-free tall grass vegetation (Sorbo-Calamagrostietum arundinaceae), ravine willow scrub (Salicetum appendiculatae); Dentario enneaphylli-Fagetum, Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum, Sphagno girgensohnii-Piceetum, Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum, Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum sylvestris, Vaccinio uliginosi-Betuletum pubescentis, Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum rotundatae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed fir forests (D27), spruce forests (D34), pine forests (D59), species-poor beech forests (F86, F96), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F134, F135), raised bogs (S10), fens (S24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce forestry; forest clearing vegetation: primarily Senecioni sylvatici-Epilobietum angustifolii, montane Senecio ovatus altitudinal form.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Violion communities (Polygalo-Nardetum); mountain meadows: Polygono-Trisetion; Geranio-Trisetetum, Meo-Festucetum; not rarely Festuco-Cynosuretum pastures. Caricetum-Gnaphalietum supini.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountainous areas, high and ridge locations
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane; Germany: 700-1000 m, Czech Republic/Slovakia: 800-1400 m, Poland: Sudetes: 850-1000 (1050) m; Austria 700-1200 m
Geology (bedrock)
granite, gneiss, porphyry, quarzit, sandstone and conglomerates, slate (Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
oligitrophic brown soils, podzole-brown soils, ranker, podzole; often stone-rich; ((stony) dystric cambisols; orthic podzols; dystric leptosols)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, loamy, grouany-stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh-moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI9b, VI(X)b
average annual temperature
5-7 EC; Czech Republic/Slovakia: 3-4 EC
average annual precipitation
Austria/Poland:700-1000 mm; Czech Republic/Slovakia: 800-1400 mm; Germany: 1000-1900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 11,5-16 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -7 to -3 EC; Germany: -5 to 0 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Stands thread by cold north winds, snow and ice cover.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
In Slovakia semi-natural forests represent about 50 % of the area, but in the Czech Republic only fragments still remain (about 1 %); in Austria there are only a few small-sized natural stands, mostly spruce plantations; Germany: few semi-natural stands; in Sudetia there are stands that are still well preserved, but they have been displaced and are endangered quite strongly (as have other deciduous forests) due to the preferential treatment of the spruce.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands still rich in beech (and fir) are worthy of protection, further inclosed mires.
causes of endangerment
Transformation into spruce forestry; intensification of forestry, game browsing; modification of habitats: emissions of pollutants or nutrients, contamination of atmosphere and soils.
required measures for protection and restitution
Semi-natural silviculture, regulation of game stocks; complete protection of the remaining stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Germany: primeval forest reserve Waldstein (also nature reserve), primeval forest reserve Höllbachgespreng (Bavaria); Poland: The national park in the Riesengebirge (small, but very typical and well preserved areas); Czech Republic/Slovakia: National park Nízke Tatry („ervená skala region), Slovenské Rudohorie (Betliar region), Orlické hory (crest sites), National park Šumava, National park KRNAP (Krkonoše); Austria: Ostrong (Lower Austrian Waldsektor), cultivared forest of the convent Schlägl, Aigen, Upper Austria (Mühlsektor), northeast of Rappottenstein, primeval forest Dobra (but rather far montane) and distinctively more rich.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Dunzendorfer 1973; Ellenberg & Klötzli 1967; Hančinský 1972; Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1960; Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1973; Mayer 1974; Moravec, Husová, Neuhäusl & Neuhäuslová-Novotná 1982; Seibert 1973; Zlatník 1959
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by J. Michalko and R. Neuhäusl; H. Wagner, completed by K. Zukrigl; U. Bohn; W. Matuszkiewicz
