Title
North Apennine mixed sessile oak-bitter oak forests (Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, partly Quercus pubescens) with Physospermum cornubiense, Chamaecytisus hirsutus, Anemone trifolia subsp. albida
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Italy: Ligurian Apennine as far as to the north of Rome, large-scaled
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Physospermo-Quercetum cerris Barbéro & Bono 1970, Physospermo-Quercetum petraeae Oberdorfer & A. Hofmann 1967, Erico-Quercetum cerridis Arrigoni 1990.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forests with many Quercetea pubescenti-petraeae and Querco-Fagetea species, and also with acidophilous species in the herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, locally admixed Castanea sativa, (scattered Carpinus betulus, Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis, Prunus avium, Ostrya carpinifolia)
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Cornus sanguinea, Rosa arvensis, Chamaecytisus hirsutus
Herb layer
Physospermum cornubiense, Anemone trifolia subsp. albida, Festuca heterophylla, Euphorbia dulcis, Symphytum tuberosum, Solidago virgaurea, Tanacetum corymbosum, Hepatica nobilis, Teucrium scorodonia, Lathyrus linifolius, Stachys officinalis, Potentilla micrantha, Viola riviniana, Luzula pedemontana, Poa nemoralis, Pteridium aquilinum, Erythronium dens-canis, Deschampsia flexuosa, Phyteuma michelii
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum scoparium
Diagnostically important species
Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea; Physospermum cornubiense, Chamaecytisus hirsutus, Anemone trifolia subsp. albida
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Genoa-Tuscany variant with numerous forest mosses; Savona variant with Carex humilis, Sorbus torminalis, Hieracium glaucinum.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Downy oak forests, oak-hornbeam, black alder and woodland pastures in valleys.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F146, F147), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G13), downy oak forests (G44), hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G52), holm oak forests (J17, J19), cork oak forests (J28), freshwater tall reed swamps (R1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pure stands of bitter or sessile oaks, sweet chestnut forests and groves, Prunetalia and Juniper scrub; heaths with Genista or Erica species as well as Calluna heaths.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Mesobromion, Arrhenatherion, Cynosurion.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, cereal fields, fruit cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly and lower mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane (-montane)
Geology (bedrock)
base-deficient rocks (Tertiary sediments, Cretaceous, volcanic rocks, tuffs)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic parabrown soils and brown soils; (orthic and gleyic luvisols; dystric cambisols)
soil texture
loamy sand, loam, silt
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to fresh, partly periodically moist
soil reaction
moderately to weakly acidic
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4, IV5(X)
average annual temperature
10-13,5 °C
average annual precipitation
800-1600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
1-4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Dry periods in summer.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Most forests are degraded by low forest management; transformation into sweet chestnut and coniferous tree stands.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Species worthy of protection: relicts of Upper Tertiary and interglacial mixed broad-leaved forests.
causes of endangerment
Low forest management, clearing, agricultural use, transformation into coniferous tree plantations.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of representative semi-natural stands, and regeneration of degraded forests by natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details.
Most important references (author, year)
Arrigoni, Mazzanti & Ricceri 1990; Barbéro & Bono 1970; Oberdorfer 1968; Oberdorfer & Hofmann 1967
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová and N. Doniţă based on documents by F. Pedrotti, completed by F. Spada
