Title
Ligurian-middle Apennine downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens) with Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
North and Central Italy: Liguria, Emilia-Romagna, Marche and Abruzzo, Lazio
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Peucedano cervariae-Quercetum pubescentis (Ubaldi et al. 1984) Ubaldi 1988, Knautio-Quercetum pubescentis (Ubaldi 1980) Ubaldi 1993, Cercidi-Quercetum pubescentis (Ubaldi et al. 1984) Ubaldi 1993, Roso sempervirentis-Quercetum pubescentis Biondi 1986, Campanulo-Quercetum pubescentis Ubaldi et al. 1987.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forests with numerous thermophilous species of the Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pubescens, admixed Fraxinus ornus, Acer campestre, Cercis siliquastrum, Sorbus torminalis, Sorbus domestica, locally Ostrya carpinifolia
Shrub layer
Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Crataegus monogyna, Ligustrum vulgare, Viburnum lantana
Lianas
Hedera helix, Rosa sempervirens
Herb layer
Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii, Helleborus foetidus, Melittis melissophyllum, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Buphthalmum salicifolium, Campanula medium, Peucedanum cervaria, Knautia drymeia, Anemone apennina, Cyclamen repandum, Arum italicum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pubescens, Cercis siliquastrum; Rosa sempervirens; Campanula medium, Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii, Peucedanum cervaria, Knautia drymeia
Ecological variants
On molasses with Quercus cerris, Castanea sativa, Erica arborea, Genista cinerea, Lonicera etrusca, Potentilla rupestris, Festuca heterophylla.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Violo hirtae-Carpinetum orientalis, Lonicero xylostei-Carpinetum orientalis, Dryopteridi-Ostryetum, Aro-Ulmetum minoris, Salicetum albae, Carpino-Quercetum cerris.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous mixed oak forests (F17), oak-hornbeam- forests (F45, F48), species-poor and species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F101, F141, F146), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G11, G12, G13), downy oak forests (G41), hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G52, G53), holm oak forests (J17, J18, J19), alluvial forests (U15, U20).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus forestry, hybrid poplar and false acacia stands, cypresses, field forests with Quercus pubescens, Spartium junceum scrub, Prunetalia scrub, Cytision sessilifolii scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Sowed grassland, Arundo donax and Arundo pliniana stands.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereals, vegetables, fruits (pears, peaches, almonds, cherries), olive tree and wine grape cultivation: Diplotaxidetum ericoidis, Cotinus coggygria cultivation (for tannin extraction).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Ruderal and forest edge communities: Anthriscetum nemorosae Hruska 1981, Conietum maculati, Chaerophylletum temuli, Sambucus ebulus community.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to montane; 100-800 (900) m
Geology (bedrock)
flysch, molasse (Cretaceous, Tertiary, Pleistocene)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
deep, base-rich brown soils, regosol; (vertic and eutric cambisols; calcaric regosols)
soil texture
loamy to clayey
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4, IV5(X)
average annual temperature
10-14,5 °C
average annual precipitation
(600) 700-900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
3-4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Warm summers with distinct dry seasons.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Mainly severely degraded low forest stands.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All preserved nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Low forest management, clearing, transformation into forestry.
required measures for protection and restitution
Ecological restitution, transformation into high forests.
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)
Biondi 1986; Ubaldi 1988; Ubaldi 1993; Ubaldi, Zanotti, Puppi, Speranza & Corbetta 1987
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by F. Pedrotti and Z. Neuhäuslová, completion U. Bohn
