Title
Corsican-Sardinian (supra-Mediterranean) downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens) with Ilex aquifolium, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Lathyrus venetus, Oenanthe pimpinelloides
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: Corsica ; Italy: Sardinia
area frequency
11 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
(Oenantho pimpinelloidis-Castanetum sativae Arrigoni et al. 1996 subass. quercetosum pubescentis); Oenatho-Quercetum pubescenti-petraeae Gamisans 1975, Boyer et al. 1983.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered, up to 10 m high forests of Quercus pubescens and mixed tree species with a species-rich shrub layer and a contiguous herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pubescens, admixed (Quercus petraea, Corsica), Castanea sativa, Quercus ilex, Acer monspessulanum, Acer obtusatum (Corsica), Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus domestica, (Taxus baccata)
Shrub layer
Ilex aquifolium, Crataegus monogyna, Ruscus aculeatus, Erica arborea, Cytisus scoparius
Lianas
Tamus communis, Rubia peregrina, Lonicera etrusca, Rubus ulmifolius, Hedera helix (sparsely)
Herb layer
Geranium purpureum, Cyclamen hederifolium, Cyclamen repandum, Gagea lutea, Oenanthe pimpinelloides, Luzula forsteri, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Lathyrus venetus, Silene viridiflora, Allium pendulinum, Galium odoratum, Lilium martagon, Mercurialis perennis, Potentilla micrantha, Galium rotundifolium
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pubescens, Acer monspessulanum, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus; (Ilex aquifolium); Oenanthe pimpinelloides, Lathyrus venetus, Cyclamen repandum
Ecological variants
Corsica: at northern slopes and on deep soils a subassociation with Sanicula europaea and Melica uniflora; at southern slopes at lower altitudes and on shallow soils a subassociation with Oenanthe pimpinelloides.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
On Corsica with Quercus petraea, Acer obtusatum; on Sardinia with Quercus virgiliana, Quercus dalechampii, Quercus congesta, Alnus cordata (Ilex aquifolium).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Ilici-Quercetum ilicis on western and southern slopes, Digitalo luteae-Castaneetum on shaded slopes and in valley hollows, Asperulo-Taxetum on rocky sites, Stellario-Buxetum alnetosum cordatae on fresh shaded slopes.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F145, F146), holm oak forests (J17), cork oak forests (J28), thorn-cushion vegetation (N1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Low forest, Castanea sativa forests, scrub, garrigue.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Dry, dwarf shrub-rich short-grass meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountain locations with a weakly subdivided relief
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean; 500-1300 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rocks (granite, gabbro, diorites, granodiorites, tonalites) (Carboniferous; Silurian; Ordovician; Cambrian); Jurassic-slate
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
Mediterranean and leached brown soils (Mancini 1966); generally rather deep; (chromic cambisols; stony chromic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3a, IV5(X)
average annual temperature
10-14 °C
average annual precipitation
700-1500 mm (Corsica )
average temperature of the warmest month
22-24 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
1-4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
long-term summerly droughts
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Bad state of preservation, only small-sized and scattered occurrences of near-natural forests, old low forest, and natural regeneration occurs with cessation of use.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All remainders of the nearly-natural vegetation are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Timber use, grazing, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
Strict protective measures for the preservation of the last forest remnants and their regeneration are necessary.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Italy: Badde Salighes, Gennargentu (Sardinia); France: no details for Corsica .
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Arrigoni, Di Tommaso, Camarda & Satta 1972; Boyer et al. 1983; Desole 1966; Dupias 1963; Dupias, Gaussen, Izard & Rey 1965; Gamisans 1975; Gamisans 1977; Gamisans 1991; Rameau 1996b
Compiled by
F. Pedrotti and Z. Neuhäuslová (for Sardinia); C. Hettwer, U. Bohn based on documents by J.C. Rameau (for Corsica )
