Title
Ligurian-Tyrrhenian meso-Mediterranean holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Viburnum tinus
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
France: coastal region east of Cannes, Corsica (north-western coastal strip and interior); Italy: Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Campania (coastal strip from the french border to Salerno, partly interrupted or reaching over to the interior), Elba, Sardinia
area frequency
34 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Quercetum ilicis (Sardinian-Corsican variant) Burrichter 1961, Lauro-Quercetum ilicis Barbéro & Loisel 1983, Viburno-Quercetum ilicis Rivas-Martínez 1965, Epipactido-Quercetum ilicis Barbéro & Loisel 1983, Asplenio-Quercetum ilicis (Braun-Blanquet 1936) Rivas-Martínez 1974, Aceri monspessulani-Quercetum ilicis Arrigoni & Di Tommaso 1989, Pistacio-Quercetum ilicis Bruno & Marcenò 1985.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Evergreen, three-layered holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) with Viburnum tinus, Phillyrea latifolia etc. in the shrub layer. Many Mediterranean xerophilic species (particularly species of the Quercetea ilicis and lower syntaxa) in all layers. Also high-growing, but only on Sardinia.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Acer monspessulanum, Quercus pubescens, Pinus pinaster
Shrub layer
Viburnum tinus, Phillyrea latifolia, Arbutus unedo, Buxus sempervirens, Pistacia lentiscus, Cytisus villosus, Erica arborea, Daphne gnidium
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Rubia peregrina, Clematis cirrhosa, Clematis flammula, Tamus communis, Lonicera implexa, Rosa sempervirens, Hedera helix, Ruscus aculeatus, Rubus ulmifolius
Herb layer
Asparagus acutifolius, Cyclamen repandum, Teucrium chamaedrys subsp. pinnatifidum, Euphorbia characias, Carex distachya, Carex halleriana, Asplenium onopteris, Pteridium aquilinum, Luzula forsteri, Paeonia mascula subsp. russii
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum cupressiforme, Scorpiurium circinatum, Amblystegium serpens, Fissidens taxifolius, Isothecium alopecuroides
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex, Acer monspessulanum, Fraxinus ornus; Viburnum tinus, Phillyrea latifolia; Lonicera implexa, Lonicera etrusca; Epipactis microphylla, Euphorbia characias, Piptatherum miliaceum, Carex distachya, Cephalanthera rubra, Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Sardinian-Corsican endemics: Helleborus lividus subsp. corsicus, Mercurialis corsica and Galium scabrum; in the south of France with Quercus coccifera, Jasminum fruticans, Rosa sempervirens.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Pistacio-Rhamnetalia alaterni.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F141, F146), bitter oak forests (G11, G13), G19), downy oak forests (G43, G44, G53), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J15, J21, J28, J48), dune vegetation (P11), salt vegetation (P26), alder carrs (T2), alluvial and moist forests (U18, U20, U34).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Low forests, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea and Pinus halepensis plantations, Cistus macchia, macchia with Erica arborea (Quercetum ilicis ericetosum) and/or Arbutus unedo; garrigue with Cistus species and Lavandula stoechas (Cisto-Lavanduletea communities), Ononido-Rosmarinetea communities.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Thero-Brachypodietea communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, olive groves, cereal cultivation (Secalinion Mediterraneanum), citrus cultivation; Diplotaxis erucoides and Calendula arvensis.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Brometalia rubenti-tectori communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
plains, hilly coastal regions, also rocky mountains on Sardinia
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
meso-Mediterranean (up to 250 m); on Corsica and Sardinia meso-supra-Mediterranean, bis 1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
grano-diorites, tonalites, gabbro, diorites, granites, rhyolites (Palaeozoic); limestone (Jurassic, Triassic); Flysch (Tertiary, Cretaceous); Quaternary silicate sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
meridional brown soils, partly with transitions to brown or red loam, andosols, partly terra rossa; (stony eutric, chromic and dystric cambisols; chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols; vitric and lithic mollic andosols)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, stone-rich, with a high content of grouan and coarse sand
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry, dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3, IV3b, IV5, V(VI)
average annual temperature
16-17 °C
average annual precipitation
450-750 mm (up to 1100 mm in Italy)
average temperature of the warmest month
July 22-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 5-10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Mediterranean climate with distinct dry and warm summer on Corsica; on Sardinia very dry in summer, in winter very moist.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural holm oak forests relatively frequent on Sardinia; otherwise stands are usually managed as low forest and correspondingly degraded, and are very heavily shaped by anthropo-zoogenic influences.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Viburno-Quercetum ilicis.
causes of endangerment
Fire, timber use, formerly charcoal production, agriculture, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Strict protection of relicts and natural succession stages.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Italy: Sopramonte di Orgosolo (Sardinia).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Italy: Maccie: Monte Argentario (Toscana).
Most important references (author, year)
Arrigoni, Di Tommaso & Mele 1990; Barbéro & Loisel 1983; Braun-Blanquet, Roussine & Nègre 1952; Burrichter 1961; Burrichter 1979; Gamisans 1977; Martinoli 1952
Compiled by
F. Pedrotti; Z. Neuhäuslová and J.-M. Géhu; S. Rivas-Martinez; C. Hettwer based on documents by J.C. Rameau; F. Spada
