Title
Pine forests (Pinus sylvestris)in the margin and pre-Alps on dry riversides, partly with Pinus rotundata, with Salix elaeagnos
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Germany: Lech valley (south of Augsburg), Isar valley (between Wolfratshausen and the border to Austria); Austria: Upper Lech valley, scree-nests in the foreland of the Alps; Italy: Piave, Tagliamento, Cellina
area frequency
7 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Salici elaeagni-Pinetum Oberdorfer 1957, Dorycnio-Pinetum in the foreland of the Alps; Alno incanae-Pinetum sylvestris Poldini 1984.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open, poorly growing pine stands with associated stands consisting of Salix elaeagnos, Salix purpurea, Salix daphnoides, Alnus incana, sometimes Pinus mugo (rarely in an upright form), poorly growing spruce and often a very species-rich and grass-rich herb layer as well as a moss layer and acidophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus sylvestris, Pinus rotundata (north-Alps), Alnus incana
Shrub layer
Salix purpurea, Salix elaeagnos, Salix daphnoides, Berberis vulgaris, Pinus mugo (north-Alps), Amelanchier ovalis, Juniperus communis
Herb layer
Calamagrostis varia, Petasites paradoxus, Carex flacca, Molinia arundinacea, Carex alba
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hylocomium splendens, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Pleurozium schreberi
Diagnostically important species
Pinus sylvestris; Pyrola chlorantha, Orthilia secunda, Goodyera repens, Epipactis atrorubens
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Alpine valley type often with subalpine elements, e.g. Rhodothamnus chamaecistus; floristically impoverished in the foothills of the Alps with a tendency towards deciduous forest.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Scrub with Salicetum incano-purpureae, Salici-Hippophaetum rhamnoides; Alnetum incanae, pioneer vegetation on gravel islands.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
fir and mixed fir forests (D28, D29), spruce forests (D35), species-poor and species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F85, F96, F115, F131, F133, F142), mixed hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G48, G51), black pine forests (K8), alluvial and moist forests (U27).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Hardly any usage.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grazing, if anything.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
in Alpine valleys and on debris fans in the foothills, shallow valley floors of Alpine rivers lying above the former floodplains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to submontane
Geology (bedrock)
lime and dolomite scree (Cretaceous, Jurassic); fluviatile sediments (Pleistocene above Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
shallow mull-like mor-humus carbonate soil; (stony and lithic leptosols)
soil texture
sandy-chady, gravely
soil moisture, water balance
periodically moist to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to alkaline
soil fertility
oligotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V1, VI1a, VI8b, VI9c, VI(X)2, VI(X)3
average annual temperature
5-8,5 °C
average annual precipitation
800-1500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
13-17 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-5 to -2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
frequent formation of cold-air lakes.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Largely well preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
species worthy of protection: orchids, Pinus rotundata.
causes of endangerment
Gravel excavation, tourism, leisure activities, congestion and modification of the water regime due to the construction of hydroelectric dams.
required measures for protection and restitution
Strict protection of all remnants.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Austria: northern and southern limestone Alps, for instance Hochschwabgebiet (Bodenbauer, Styria); Germany: Isar valley between Wolfratshausen and the border to Austria; north Italy: Tagliamento, Piave, Cellina.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Seibert 1958; Seibert 1968; Wallnöfer 1993b
Compiled by
K. Zukrigl; F. Pedrotti
