Title
Pannonian mixed sand steppe-oak forests (Quercus robur, partly Quercus pubescens, Tilia cordata) with Convallaria majalis, partly Silene coronaria
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Czech Republic: near Hodonin; Slovakia: near Bratislava, Záhorie, Čenkov; Austria: small-scaled in the Marchfeld; Hungary: large areas along the Donau, around Budapest, in the north-east
area frequency
15 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Convallario-Quercetum roboris Soó 1957, Festuco rupicolae-Quercetum roboris Soó (1934) 1937 (syn.: Querceto-Convallarietum Soó 1950, Quercetum roboris (stepposum) Soó (1937) 1943, subass. caricetosum fritschii Šmarda 1961).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered, species-rich forests with well developed shrub and herb layers, and numerous thermophilous as well as hygrophilous elements.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus robur, (Quercus pubescens, Quercus pedunculiflora), Tilia cordata, (Tilia tomentosa), Acer campestre
Shrub layer
Ligustrum vulgare, Crataegus monogyna, Rhamnus cathartica, Euonymus europaea, Rosa canina, Prunus spinosa, Berberis vulgaris, Juniperus communis, Cornus mas
Herb layer
Convallaria majalis, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Poa angustifolia, Festuca rupicola, Polygonatum hirtum, Potentilla alba, Ranunculus illyricus, Melampyrum cristatum, Pulmonaria angustifolia, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Silene coronaria
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
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Diagnostically important species
Quercus robur; Convallaria majalis, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Silene coronaria
Ecological variants
Hygrophilous variant (Convallario-Quercetum roboris) and a xerophilic variant (Festuco-Quercetum roboris).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Northern form (Convallario-Quercetum) with Quercus pedunculiflora, Silene coronaria, Carex fritschii, Melampyrum cristatum, Carex montana, Molinia arundinacea; southern form with Quercus pubescens, Juniperus communis, Dianthus collinus, Trifolium pannonicum, Trifolium ochroleucon, Iris variegata, Stachys officinalis in the Festuco-Quercetum and Salvia glutinosa, Vinca minor, Geranium phaeum, Stachys sylvatica, Galium odoratum, Lamium galeobdolon in the Convallario-Quercetum; types in north-east Hungary with Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. hungarica, Iris hungarica, Bulbocodium versicolor, in central Hungary with Iris variegata, Dianthus diutinus, Dictamnus albus; type in north-east Serbia with Tilia tomentosa, Cotinus coggygria, Ruscus aculeatus.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
sand dune communities of the Festucetea vaginatae, in the north Carici elongatae-Alnetum, in the south Fraxino-Ulmetum, Junipero-Populetum albae.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
pedunculate oak-hornbeam forests (F46), mixed pedunculate oak forests (G4), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G16), mixed flowering ash-downy oak forests (G46), forest steppes (L10, L11), salt vegetation (P32), alder carrs (T1), alluvial forests (U16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Robinia, Pinus and Populus forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Festucion valesiacae, Cynodonti-Poetum angustifoliae, grassland with Festuca vaginata and Festuca vaginata subsp. dominii.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Communities of the Consolido-Eragrostion, Tribulo-Eragrostion.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Sisymbrion officinalis.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
sand dunes on alluvial terraces in the plains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland
Geology (bedrock)
Tertiary, Pleistocene and Holocene sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
sand-brown soils, in hollows pseudogely; (luvic arenosols; gleyic luvisols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry, locally periodically moist
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutal
soil fertility
mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)1, VII
average annual temperature
9-11,5 °C
average annual precipitation
480-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 19-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -2,5 to -0,5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
forest steppes climate with 1-3 months of dry season and drought years (20-30 %); average minimum of temperature: -19 to -15 °C; %); average maximum of temperature: 33-36 °C.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Potentially endangered; few preserved semi-natural stands.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
many endangered species and species in need of protection: Quercus pedunculiflora, Crepis praemorsa, Centaurea triumfetti, Iris variegata, Pulmonaria angustifolia.
causes of endangerment
Clearing, sinking of the groundwater table.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Czech Republic: forest "Doubrava" near Hodonin; Slovakia: Záhorská nižina, Čenkov; Hungary: Debrecen (Nagyerdö), Bátorliget, Csérharant, Puntavacs; Yugoslavia (Serbia): Deliblat.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Austria: nature reserve Obersiebenbrunn (Marchfeld, Lower Austria).
Most important references (author, year)
Hargitai 1940; Michalko, Magic, Berta, Rybníček & Rybníčková 1986(1987); Papp & Szodfrit 1967; Schuster 1974; Šmarda 1961; Soó 1943; Soó 1953; Soó 1964a; Soó 1971; Szodfrit 1969
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by R. Neuhäusl and Z. Neuhäuslová, completed by Š. Maglocký
