Title
East Central European oak and pine-oak forests (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Pinus sylvestris), mostly with Potentilla alba, Molinia arundinacea, Frangula alnus, partly in combination with steppe-like dry grasslands (Festuca valesiaca)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Poland: central and eastern part of the central Polish lowland (moraine zone of the Warthe-stage); Czech Republic: basin locations of Bohemia and Moravia; (Slovakian Republic: Low Carpathians, not on the map); Germany: lower Oder
area frequency
91 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Potentillo albae-Quercetum petraeae Libbert 1933, Frangulo alni-Quercetum roboris-petraeae J. Michalko 1986 (syn.: Querco-Potentilletum albae occidento-pannonicum Knapp 1944 p.p.).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Usually three-layered structure with dominant oak trees in the tree and shrub layers; Tree layer translucent, 70-80 % degree of coverage; herb layer 50-90 % degree of coverage, very species-rich and multi-layered with perennials, grasses and sometimes dwarf shrubs. Usually a combination consisting of thermophilous species, Carpinion elements, intermittent moisture indicators and acidophytes; Moss layer very sparse to moderately developed.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea (predominately in the west), Quercus robur (exclusively in north-eastern Poland), locally admixed Carpinus betulus, Tilia cordata, Sorbus torminalis, Populus tremula, Pinus sylvestris
Shrub layer
beside the tree-species Ligustrum vulgare, Crataegus monogyna, Acer campestre, Frangula alnus, Prunus spinosa, Euonymus verrucosa, Cornus sanguinea, Lonicera xylosteum
Herb layer
Potentilla alba, Molinia arundinacea, Serratula tinctoria, Hierochloe australis, Melica picta, Vicia cassubica, Carex montana, Campanula persicifolia, Poa angustifolia, Pulmonaria angustifolia, Polygonatum odoratum, Fragaria moschata, Lathyrus niger, Galium sylvaticum, Galium boreal, Stellaria holostea, Luzula luzuloides, Festuca heterophylla, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Convallaria majalis, Festuca ovina, Maianthemum bifolium, Melica nutans, Fragaria vesca, Veronica chamaedrys; occasionally Melittis melissophyllum, Pteridium aquilinum, Vaccinium myrtillus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurozium schreberi, Plagiomnium affine, Polytrichum formosum, Atrichum undulatum
Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur; Potentilla alba, Molinia arundinacea, Serratula tinctoria, Stachys officinalis, Hierochloe australis, Pulmonaria angustifolia, Carex montana, Ranunculus polyanthemos. The combination of thermophilous species is characteristic (additionally Hypericum montanum, Tanacetum corymbosum, Primula veris, Pulmonaria dacica), Fagetalia-species (Anemone nemorosa, Lathyrus vernus, Lilium martagon, Galium schultesii, Viola reichenbachiana), thermophilous fringe plants of the Trifolio-Geranietea (Anthericum ramosum, Astragalus glycyphyllos, Clinopodium vulgare, Geranium sanguineum, Melampyrum nemorosum, Peucedanum cervaria, Vicia cassubica), Indicators of periodical moisture (Molinia arundinacea, Stachys officinalis, Galium boreal, Serratula tinctoria, Succisa pratensis, Laserpitium prutenicum) and acidophytes (Calamagrostis arundinacea, Melampyrum pratense, Pteridium aquilinum, Vaccinium myrtillus). Further a high share of species with subcontinental (central European-Sarmatian) main distribution area.
Ecological variants
Depending on location, exposure and soil characteristics different proportions of thermophilic species, intermittent waterlogging indicators or acidophytes.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Poland 3-4 regional strains have been put forward. 1) The western Warthe strain corresponds best to the types described by W. Libbert (1933) with Festuca heterophylla, Galium verum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Sedum maximum and Vicia cassubica. 2) The central and eastern Polish form is characterised amongst other ways by several Cytisus species (Cytisus nigricans, Cytisus ruthenicus), Chamaecytisus ratisbonensis, Genista germanica etc.; in addition, coniferous forest species are more strongly represented here. 3) In north-east Poland a form characterised by Centaurea phrygia, Geranium sylvaticum, Gladiolus imbricatus, Molinia caerulea, Picea abies and particularly Trollius europaeus. It was described as Potentillo-Quercetum trollietosum (Matuszkiewicz A., in 1955), but is better understood as a geographic race. 4) A special form from the south-Polish hills described as Potentillo albae-Quercetum rosetosum gallicae R. Kačmierczakowa 1971. Differential species include Rosa gallica, Tanacetum corymbosum, Adenophora liliifolia, Astrantia major, Helictotrichon pratense, Crataegus rhipidophylla, Ranunculus cassubicus, Sanguisorba officinalis and Selinum carvifolia amongst others.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Molinio arundinaceae-Quercetum, Melampyro nemorosi-Carpinetum, Lathyro versicoloris-Quercetum pubescentis, Lithospermo-Quercetum; in Slovakia Quercetum petraeae-cerris, Frangulo alni-Carpinetum, Carici pilosae-Carpinetum, Molinio arundinaceae-Populetum tremuli.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed fir forests (D28), pine forests (D54, D55), acidophilous oak forests (F11, F12, F20), oak-hornbeam forests (F38, F41, F42a, F52, F55, F57), species-poor beech forests (F80), species-rich beech forests (F107, F113, F119), alder carrs (T1), alluvial and moist forests (U9, U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus sylvestris and Robinia forestry; often low oak forest; forest fringe (mantel) communities and scrub: Pruno-Crataegetum, in the hills also Berberidion communities and the Peucedanum cervaria-Corylus avellana community, forest edge (fringe) communities of the Geranion sanguinei alliance, particularly Geranio-Trifolietum alpestris; Cytisus scrub (Slovakia).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Extensive sheep pastures: Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati pastures, Molinion meadows; in Slovakia Anthoxantho-Cynosurenion Jurko 1974, Nardo-Agrostidion tenuis Sillinger 1933; Poland: semi-natural sliliceous dry grasslands (Sileno otitis-Festucetum) and their degeneration stages, steppe-like grasslands (Origano-Brachypodietum pinnati), Borstgrasrasen (Polygalo-Nardetum); with excessive use often Calluna vulgaris-rich grass heaths.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Rye/potato cultivation of moderate productivity. Characteristic weed communities of cereal fields: Papaveretum argemones and certain types of the Vicietum tetraspermae; root vegetable fields: forms of the Echinochloo-Setarietum. In some areas (for example in central Poland) there is extensive strawberry and raspberry cultivation as characteristic features of the cultivated landscape; Caucalion lappulae Tuexen 1950.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
These areas have long been favoured for settlement. Characteristic weed communities include: Echio-Melilotetum, Onopordetum acanthii, and especially the Potentillo-Artemisietum absinthii (characteristic community of sites for subthermophilous Sarmatian oak forests).
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Poland: mainly hilly glacial landscapes; loess plateaus, moraine slopes, carbonate and igneous rocks, diluvial terraces of intramontane basins such as in the Bohemian mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 50-300 m
Geology (bedrock)
oser, kame and end moraine tracts of the Saale- and Weichsel glaciation; diluvial Sediments, eolian sand, chad, loams, clays and chalky clay (Pleistocene); in Bohemia also chalkstone (Upper Cretaceous), clay-slate (Devonian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mesotrophic brown soils to pseudogley-brown soils, locally pseudogley; (eutric cambisols; orthic and gleyic luvisols)
soil texture
siliceous lightly loamed to moderately loamed sands, usually loam banded, often two-layered: sand above loam
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, periodically dry to periodically moist
soil reaction
mostly acidic in the upper layer, neutral to weakly alkaline in the bottom layer
soil fertility
mesotrophic to meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)1, VI(VII)2
average annual temperature
7,5-9 °C
average annual precipitation
450-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 17-20,5 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4 to -1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
in Poland preferably southern exponated slopes and relatively warm tops; subcontinental, warm to dry lowland and basin climate. In basins often climate inversions (up to -41 °C), fogs, long-term droughts during the growing season.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Endangered; semi-natural stands are relatively rare, degraded by low forestry, forest grazing and commercial forestry, and have often been converted into coniferous tree plantations (pine).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
protected and rare species: Helictotrichon praeustum, Dianthus superbus, Dianthus seguieri, Lilium martagon, Hepatica nobilis, Anthericum ramosum, Bupleurum longifolium among others
causes of endangerment
Agricultural use, low forestry, coniferous tree forestry, in Poland there is often stand and site degeneration due to preferential planting of coniferous trees, particularly pine plantations.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection is necessary. Regeneration of semi-natural forests by natural succession and promotion of indigenous tree species, particularly oaks.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Poland: Wielkopolski-national park near Posen, nature reserve in the surroundings of Łódź, Grójec, Rawa Maz. and Žyrardów (end moraine zone of Warthe-stage in middle Poland); Czech Republic, Slovakia: Košická kotlina (forest Žobrák near Šaca), Zvolenská kotlina (Očova), Bohemian Karst and hill country, nature reserve Zlim (Plžeň), biosphere-reserve Křivoklátsko.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Jakubowska-Gabara 1993; Kaźmierczakowa 1971; Knapp 1948; Libbert 1933; Matuszkiewicz 1955; Matuszkiewicz 1984; Matuszkiewicz & Kozłowska 1991; Meusel 1943a; Meusel 1943b; Michalko, Magic, Berta, Rybníček & Rybníčková 1986(1987); Mikyška et al. 1968–1972; Mráz 1958
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by J. Michalko, R. Neuhäusl; W. Matuszkiewicz
