Title
Piedmontese mixed bitter oak and downy oak forests (Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens, Quercus petraea, Fraxinus ornus, partly Celtis australis) with Physospermum cornubiense, Luzula pedemontana
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Northern Italy: Piedmont (Monferrato, Langhe)
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Quercion pubescenti-petraeae: a) Physospermo-Quercetum cerris Barbéro & Bono 1970, b) Orno-Quercetum pubescentis Klika 1938.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, two- to three-layered high forests with dominant bitter or downy oak.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
a) Quercus cerris, Quercus petraea, b) Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Celtis australis, Acer campestre, Castanea sativa (anthropogenous)
Shrub layer
a) Cytisus villosus
Herb layer
a) Physospermum cornubiense, Anemone trifolia subsp. albida, Symphytum bulbosum, Festuca heterophylla, Sesleria autumnalis, Linum viscosum, Dictamnus albus, Luzula pedemontana
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
a) Quercus cerris; Physospermum cornubiense, Cytisus villosus; b) Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Castanea sativa
Ecological variants
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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)
oak-hornbeam forests (Salvio-Fraxinetum with Fraxinus excelsior, Carpinus betulus, Tilia cordata) in valleys and at lower slopes, black alder forests at brooks and small rivers.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F17), oak-hornbeam forests (F45), flowering ash-downy oak forests (G44), alluvial forests (U15).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Low forest with sweet chestnut and bitter oak, sweet chestnut groves, Pine or false acacia forestry; Cytisus scoparius scrub, Spartium junceum scrub, Lavandula angustifolia scrub, Prunetalia scrub with Prunus mahaleb, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna and Sambucus ebulus.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calluna heaths with Cytisus villosus, Cytisophyllum sessilifolium; Mesobrometea; in valleys Arrhenatherion- and Cynosurion communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, fruit plantations, orchards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Ruderal communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline; 150-400 (550) m
Geology (bedrock)
Tertiary sands, chalky clay and clays; fluviatile sediments (holocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic brown soils and parabrown soils, partly gleyed; (dystric cambisols; orthic and gleyic luvisols)
soil texture
silt, sand, sandy to clayey loam
soil moisture, water balance
moderaterly 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)
IV5(X), IV(VI)1, IV(VI)2
average annual temperature
11,5-12 °C
average annual precipitation
(600) 700-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
21-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
0-1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Mainly degraded low forest, chestnut-groves and coniferous tree plantations, extensive promotion of sweet chestnut and pines.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural forest covers are endangered and worthy of protection
causes of endangerment
Low forest usage, forest clearing, forest reconstruction, intensive agriculture, settlements.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of selected semi-natural forest 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
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Most important references (author, year)
Barbéro & Ozenda 1979; Montacchini, Caramiello-Lomagno, Forneris & Piervittori 1982; Assessorato alla Pianificazione del Territorio Assessorato all’Agricultura e Foreste Instituto per le piante da legno e l’ambiente (Ed.) 1981
Compiled by
U. Bohn referring to literature and details by F. Pedrotti
