Medio-European rich-soil thickets

Description (English)

Deciduous Prunetalia thickets of the Western and the Central Europe formed by Prunus spinosa, Prunus mahaleb, Rosa spp., Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Sorbus aria, Crataegus spp., Lonicera xylosteum, Rhamnus catharticus, Rhamnus alpinus, Clematis vitalba, Ligustrum vulgare, Viburnum lantana, Viburnum opulus, Rubus spp., Amelanchier ovalis, Cotoneaster integerrimus, Cotoneaster nebrodensis, Pyrus pyraster, Malus sylvestris, Euonymus europaeus, Corylus avellana, Ulmus minor, Acer campestre, Acer monspessulanum and Carpinus betulus characteristic of forest edges, hedges and woodland recolonisation, developed on soils relatively rich in nutrients, neutral or calcareous. In the herb layer the most common species are Brachypodium pinnatum, Fragaria moschata, Geranium robertianum and Tithymalus cyparissias. The alliances Berberidion and Corylo-Populion tremulae. They are substitution communities of the Carpinion betuli (units G1.A1), Quercion pubescenti-petraeae (unit G1.71) and Fagion sylvaticae (units G1.61-G1.66) and Aremonio-Fagion (unit G1.6C) climax forests. The communities of unit F3.11 extend south to northern Iberia and northern Italy, east to Slovenia, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and northern Moravia.

Source: EUNIS habitat classification