Fagus woodland on acid soils
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLG1.6b |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Near Threatened |
EU | Near Threatened |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
Within the climatic zone where Fagus sylvatica is able to maintain dominance over other broadleaved trees, this habitat includes those beech woodlands which occur on impoverished, free-draining, base-poor rankers, acid brown earths and podzols developed from silicate bedrocks and sandy or gravelly superficial deposits. They extend from the Atlantic zone in Great Britain, France and Northern Spain, through Central Europe into the Continental zone and, in northern Italy and the Balkans into the Alpine region. Typically, Fagus sylvatica is overwhelmingly dominant (often ssp. moesiaca in the mid and eastern Balkans), when growing well forming a tall, cathedral-like canopy in which associates are few: Quercus petraea and less commonly Q. robur throughout the range, with Q. pyrenaica in the south-west and Castanea sativa in the west and south. In the Atlantic zone, Ilex aquifolium is a common understorey tree. Pinus sylvestris can be present at low altitudes, especially on shallow soils on siliceous rocks. At higher altitudes, Acer pseudoplatanus can occur, A. heldreichii in the Balkans and, towards the altitudinal limits of this woodland type, Abies alba and Picea abies in transitions to G3.1b and G3.1c mountain fir woodlands. The field layer is typically species-poor and often sparse, comprising shade-tolerant grasses and herbs and a few bryophytes. Commonest among these are Deschampsia flexuosa, Agrostis capillaris, Carex pilulifera, Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Luzula pilosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Pteridium aquilinum, Polytrichum formosum, Dicranella heteromalla, Dicranum scoparium, Mnium hornum and Hypnum cupressiforme. Generally, across the lowlands, Melampyrum pratense is characteristic with, towards the north-western Atlantic, Ruscus aculeatus, Lonicera periclymenum, Teucrium scorodonia, Hypericum pulchrum, Blechnum spicant, towards the south-west in the Massif Central, Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains, Euphorbia angulata, E. hyberna, Saxifraga hirsuta, S. spathularis and Luzula sylvatica spp. henriquesii. L. nivea and L. pedemontana occur in Insubria and Piedmont and Festuca drymeja in Illyria and the Carpathians. In the European lowlands, mixed Fagus-Quercus robur forests with this field layer should also be included under these Fagus woodlands. At higher altitudes, Dryopteris dilatata, Festuca altissima, Prenanthes purpurea, Luzula luzuloides, L. sylvatica, Senecio ovatus and S. nemorensis occur with, in mountain stands, Polygonatum verticillatum, Calamagrostis villosa and Homogyne alpina. Apart from the altitudinal variation from lowlands to higher altitudes, there is a broad range of different ecological situations in climatic and soil moisture conditions, ranging from relatively dry conditions with Carex pilulifera, Hieracium glaucinum or complete moss layers of Leucrobryum glaucum s.l. to humid conditions with ferns like Dryopteris filix-mas and Athyrium filix-femina. In relatively wet conditions species such as Frangula alnus, Lysimachia vulgaris occur, sometimes Molinia caerulea agg. can be dominant or if temporarily wet conditions prevail also Carex brizoides. Especially in subatlantic and atlantic conditions dominant species in the herb layer can be Pteridium aquilinum.
Indicators of quality:
Through the lowlands, this habitat has been widely converted to dwarf-shrub heaths for stock rearing and, later, partially re-afforestation with pine and spruce. At higher altitudes, there has been widespread replacement by conifer plantations (Picea spp., Pseudotsuga menziesii etc). High quality stands should show:
• Natural composition of canopy with dominant beech trees
• Structural diversity/ complexity with (semi)natural age structure or completeness of layers
• Typical flora and fauna composition of the region
• Presence of old trees and a variety of dead wood (lying or standing) and the associated flora, fauna and fungi
• Presence of natural disturbance such as treefall openings with natural regeneration
• Long historical continuity (ancient woodland) with high species diversity
• Survival of larger stands of forest without anthropogenic fragmentation and isolation (to support fauna which need large undisturbed forests) • Absence of non-native species in all layers (flora & fauna)
• No signs of eutrophication (e.g. with the spread of shade-tolerant nitrophiles) or pollution
• No signs of acidification
• No man-induced very high population levels of ungulates
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Near Threatened | C/D1 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Near Threatened | C/D1 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Sylviculture, forestry
- Forest and Plantation management & use
- Forest replanting (non native trees)
- Removal of forest undergrowth
- Removal of dead and dying trees
- Forest exploitation without replanting or natural regrowth
- Forestry activities not referred to above
- Transportation and service corridors
- Roads, paths and railroads
- Urbanisation, residential and commercial development
- Urbanised areas, human habitation
- Invasive, other problematic species and genes
- Invasive non-native species
- Natural System modifications
- Other ecosystem modifications
- Anthropogenic reduction of habitat connectivity
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Damage by herbivores (including game species)
- Climate change
- Changes in abiotic conditions
- Changes in biotic conditions
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Stable ![]() |
Stable ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to forests and wooded habitats
- Other forestry-related measures
- Restoring/Improving forest habitats
- Adapt forest management
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Establishing wilderness areas/allowing succession
- Legal protection of habitats and species
- Measures related to hunting, taking and fishing and species management
- Regulation/Management of hunting and taking
- Measures related to urban areas, industry, energy and transport
- Specific management of traffic and energy transport systems
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Present | 1400 | Unknown | Decreasing |
Belgium | Present | 680 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Bulgaria | Present | 85 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Croatia | Present | 44 | Stable | Stable |
Czech Republic | Present | 1511 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Denmark | Present | 164 | Decreasing | Unknown |
France mainland | Present | 4500 | Decreasing | Increasing |
Germany | Present | 6100 | Decreasing | Increasing |
Greece (mainland and other islands) | Present | 1342 | Stable | Unknown |
Hungary | Present | 25 | Stable | Stable |
Ireland | Present | 2 | Stable | Stable |
Italy mainland | Present | 2878 | Decreasing | Increasing |
Luxembourg | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Netherlands | Present | 1080 | Stable | Decreasing |
Poland | Present | 205 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Romania | Present | 12730 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Slovakia | Present | 420 | Unknown | Decreasing |
Slovenia | Present | 1534 | Decreasing | Stable |
Spain mainland | Present | 2544 | Decreasing | Increasing |
United Kingdom | Present | 680 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Sweden | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Northern Island | Present | 680 | Decreasing | Unknown |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albania | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Present | 1900 | Decreasing | Increasing |
Kosovo | Present | 44 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) | Present | 1798 | Decreasing | Increasing |
Montenegro | Present | 1490 | Unknown | Stable |
Norway Mainland | Present | 53 | Unknown | Increasing |
Serbia | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Switzerland | Present | 570 | Decreasing | Stable |
Andorra | Uncertain | - | - | |
Kaliningrad | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Liechtestein | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 4979750 | 11507 | 37719 | minimum, smaller data gaps |
EU28+ | 12037 | 44000 | minimum, some data gaps |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
Characteristic species
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Abies alba | Conifers | |
Picea abies | Conifers | |
Pinus sylvestris | Conifers | |
Pseudotsuga menziesii | Conifers | |
Athyrium filix-femina | Ferns | |
Blechnum spicant | Ferns | |
Dryopteris dilatata | Ferns | |
Dryopteris filix-mas | Ferns | |
Pteridium aquilinum | Ferns | |
Acer pseudoplatanus | Flowering Plants | |
Agrostis capillaris | Flowering Plants | |
Calamagrostis epigejos | Flowering Plants | |
Calamagrostis villosa | Flowering Plants | |
Carex brizoides | Flowering Plants | |
Carex pilulifera | Flowering Plants | |
Castanea sativa | Flowering Plants | |
Convallaria majalis | Flowering Plants | |
Deschampsia flexuosa | Flowering Plants | |
Euphorbia angulata | Flowering Plants | |
Fagus moesiaca | Flowering Plants | |
Fagus sylvatica | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca altissima | Flowering Plants | |
Festuca drymeja | Flowering Plants | |
Frangula alnus | Flowering Plants | |
Hieracium glaucinum | Flowering Plants | |
Hieracium murorum | Flowering Plants | |
Homogyne alpina | Flowering Plants | |
Hypericum pulchrum | Flowering Plants | |
Ilex aquifolium | Flowering Plants | |
Lonicera periclymenum | Flowering Plants | |
Luzula luzuloides | Flowering Plants | |
Luzula pilosa | Flowering Plants | |
Luzula sylvatica | Flowering Plants | |
Lysimachia vulgaris | Flowering Plants | |
Maianthemum bifolium | Flowering Plants | |
Melampyrum pratense | Flowering Plants | |
Molinia caerulea | Flowering Plants | |
Oxalis acetosella | Flowering Plants | |
Polygonatum verticillatum | Flowering Plants | |
Prenanthes purpurea | Flowering Plants | |
Quercus petraea | Flowering Plants | |
Quercus robur | Flowering Plants | |
Ruscus aculeatus | Flowering Plants | |
Saxifraga hirsuta | Flowering Plants | |
Teucrium scorodonia | Flowering Plants | |
Vaccinium myrtillus | Flowering Plants | |
Atrichum undulatum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Dicranella heteromalla | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Dicranum scoparium | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Hypnum cupressiforme | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Leucobryum glaucum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Mnium hornum | Mosses & Liverworts | |
Polytrichum formosum | Mosses & Liverworts |
Legal status
Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableOther classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200711 | G1.6 | Fagus woodland | narrower |