Title
Aquitanian mixed downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens, Quercus petraea, Quercus robur) with Rubia peregrina
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: large-scaled western and south-western of the Central Massif (Poitou, Charente, Guyenne)
area frequency
17 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Rubio peregrinae-Quercetum pubescentis Rameau 1974.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Multi-layered high forests; dominant Quercus pubescens in the tree layer, a relatively dense and species-rich shrub layer, a herb layer with lianas, hemicryptophytes and geophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pubescens, admixed Quercus petraea, Sorbus torminalis, Acer campestre, Acer opalus, Acer monspessulanum, Carpinus betulus (not in the coastal region), exceptionally Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium, Ulmus minor, Fagus sylvatica
Shrub layer
Ligustrum vulgare, Viburnum lantana, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus mas, Euonymus europaea, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus laevigata, Corylus avellana, Prunus spinosa, Malus sylvestris, Pyrus pyraster, Rhamnus cathartica, Rosa arvensis, Ruscus aculeatus, Berberis vulgaris, Rubus fruticosus agg., Buxus sempervirens, occasionally Juniperus communis
Lianas
Lonicera periclymenum, Lonicera etrusca, Hedera helix, Tamus communis, Rubia peregrina
Herb layer
thermophilous species: Ornithogalum umbellatum, Festuca heterophylla, Iris foetidissima, Arum italicum, Primula veris, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Helleborus foetidus, Melittis melissophyllum, Lathyrus niger, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Polygonatum odoratum, Orchis mascula, Orchis purpurea, Viola hirta, Anthericum ramosum, Limodorum abortivum; mesophilous Fagetalia-species: Arum maculatum, Carex flacca, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Epipactis helleborine, Viola reichenbachiana, Mercurialis perennis, Ranunculus ficaria, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Melica uniflora, Sanicula europaea, Vinca minor, Neottia nidus-avis; acidophilous species: Teucrium scorodonia, Pteridium aquilinum, Molinia caerulea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Homalothecium lutescens, Ctenidium molluscum, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Thuidium tamariscinum, Eurhynchium striatum, Anomodon viticulosus
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pubescens; Ruscus aculeatus; Rubia peregrina, Arum italicum
Ecological variants
Various types depending on location and soil characteristics (e.g. gravel soils, debased loam).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Northern form on chalk at Anjou (from Angers to Châtellerault) and jurassic limestone (at Poitou and Berry) with Buxus sempervirens. East of the Loire on jurassic limestones in the area of Clémency a type with beech, Daphne laureola, Sorbus latifolia, Sorbus aria, Sorbus domestica, Cephalanthera rubra and Cephalanthera longifolia (Rubio-Quercetum fagetosum, Braque 1982); Type of Charente on chalk in the Saintonge and on jurassic limestones from La Rochelle to Angoulème. Here the beech joins the downy oak and can even dominate on scree slopes with Sorbus aria, Cornus mas, Cephalanthera rubra, Cephalanthera longifolia, Epipactis helleborine, Anthericum liliago in the undergrowth (Rubio-Fagetum). In coastal areas and on the islands of maritime Charente between Dordogne and Garonne with Mediterranean species: Quercus ilex, Acer monspessulanum, Viburnum tinus, Phillyrea latifolia subsp. rodriguezii, Coriaria myrtifolia, Laurus nobilis (Rhamno-Quercetum Lapraz 1962).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Xerobrometum vegetation, forest edge communities of the Trifolio-Geranietea, thermophilous scrub, lime forests on debris slopes, meso-xerophilic beech oak forests. The beech starts to occur in areas where annual rainfall exceeds 900 mm.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F4, F5, F7, F16), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F34, F52), species-poor and species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F76, F82, F111, F112), dune vegetation (P7, P8), salt vegetation (P23), alder carrs (T1), alluvial- and moist forests (U8, U25, U28).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
The area normally occupied by this unit is currently very forest-poor; plantations of Pinus sylvestris and Quercus cerris in the Poitou. Crop fields and grass fallow land featuring Juniperus communis, Prunus mahaleb, Crataegus spp., Prunus spinosa.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Dairy farming in the Charente; amongst the xerobrometum vegetation one finds Koeleria vallesiana, Tocutella guillonii, Carex halleriana, Helichrysum conglobatum, Trinia glauca, Aster linosyris and Anthericum liliago.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
in Poitou and Berry there is cereal cultivation; vineyards at the Loire (hills of Anjou) and in the region of Cognac in the Charente.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
coastal lowlands (Charente), plateaus and slopes (Poitou, Berry), hilly country (Perigord, Quercy)
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; (0) 100-200 (300) m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, chalky clay (Cretaceous, Jurassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
shallow humus carbonate soils above Turonian Cretaceous, lime-rich brown soils above Jurassic chalk; (rendzic leptosols; chromic and calcic cambisols)
soil texture
loam, stony to gravely
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
neutral, alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V(IV)1, V(IV)2
average annual temperature
12-14 °C
average annual precipitation
600-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 4-6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forest stands are frequently managed as low forest. The stands of the Rubio-Quercetum have been reduced to forest remnants due to the expansion of agricultural use (frequently oak low forest), that today occurs in alternation with fallow land and xerobrometum vegetation.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All natural forest communities.
causes of endangerment
Forestry and agriculture.
required measures for protection and restitution
Transformation of low forest into high forests with the help of older tree specimens.
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)
Braque 1982; Corillion & Guerlesquin 1974; Dupias & Vilks 1979; Korneck 1990
Compiled by
A. Noirfalise completed by C. Hettwer based on documents by J.-C. Rameau
