Forest type:

Mixed coniferous and deciduous trees forest

Forest-building tree species:

Fagus sylvatica (beech), Abies alba (silver fir), Picea abies (Norway spruce)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore maple), Sorbus aucuparia(mountain ash)

Characteristic herbs and ferns:

Festuca altissima (tall fescue), Prenanthes purpurea (hare lettuce), Athyrium filix-femina (the lady-fern)

Stand characteristics:

Relatively dense, very green forest community

Areal:

Jura, Northern Prealps

Altitude level:

High-montane, 800 - 1600m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

no

Soil:

Fresh, base-rich brown earth on lime-rich parent material

Mean annual precipitation:

1100 - 2300mm

Mean annual temperature:

4° - 8°C

Frost resistance:

Abies alba: resistant to c. -40°C in winter. Fagus sylvatica: not very resistant against late frosts, critical temperature in spring is c. -3°C

Abundance:

Frequent and wide-ranged

Forest type:

Single-species forest

Forest-building tree species:

Picea abies (Norway spruce)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash)

Characteristic herbs:

Adenostyles alliariae (hedge-leaved adenostyle)

Stand characteristics:

Luxurious ground-layer with various megaforbs. Trees grow at wide distances from each other and the sunlight reaches the herbs easily. This community is a mixture between a spruce-forest and vegetation dominated by megaforbs.

Areal:

Northern Central Alps and Northern Prealps

Altitude level:

Subalpine:1500 - 1900m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

Lightly moist brown earth on clay-rich weathered rocks, Flysch, slates and marly limestones.

Mean annual precipitation:

1000 - 1600mm

Mean annual temperature:

3° - 5°C

Frost resistance:

Picea abies: resistant to c. -40°C in winter

Abundance:

wide-ranged

Forest type:

Single-species forest

Forest-building tree species:

Picea abies(Norway spruce)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash)

Characteristic herbs and dwarf shrubs:

Homogyne alpine (purple coltsfoot), Calamagrostis villosa (shaggy woodred), Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberry)

Stand characteristics:

Trees grow in small groups. Between these groups sunlight reaches the dense, grass- and dwarf shrub-rich ground-layer. Blanketing moss-layer

Areal:

Northern and Southern Alps

Altitude level:

Subalpine: 1500 - 2100m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

Fresh, very acid podsole on various parent materia

Mean annual precipitation:

1000 - 2500mm

Mean annual temperature:

1° - 7°C

Frost resistance:

Picea abies: resistant to c. -40°C in winter. Very low temperatures can influence the rejuvenation negatively

Abundance:

Very frequent and wide-ranged

Forest type:

Single-species forest

Forest-building tree species:

Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine)

Occasionally occurring tree species: none

-

Characteristic dwarf shrubs and herbs:

Erica carnea (common heath), Carex humilis (dwarf sedge)

Stand characteristics:

Varied ground-layer which often dries out in summer. The Scots pines do not grow very well.

Areal:

Northern Central Alps and Lower Engadine in continental regions

Altitude level:

Montane and high-montane: 500/700 - 1300/1500m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

no

Soil:

Dry rendzina on compact Jurassic or chalky limestones or Triassic dolomites

Mean annual precipitation:

800 - 1200/1800mm

Mean annual temperature:

3° - 9°C

Frost resistance:

Pinus sylvestris: resistant to less than -40°C in winter

Abundance:

Wide-ranged in the above mentioned areal

Forest type:

Single-species forest

Forest-building tree species:

Pinus montana [Pinus mugo] (mountain pine)

Occasionally occurring tree species: none

Picea abies (Norway spruce)

Characteristic dwarf shrubs and herbs:

Erica carnea (Common heath), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry), Calamagrostis varia (Wood reed), Sesteria caerulea (Blue sesteria), gymnadenia odoratissima (sweetest orchid)

Stand characteristics:

Very varied ground layer and floristic compositon depending on the site conditions

Areal:

Lower Engadine, Albula valley, single sites in Valais and Bernese Oberland

Altitude level:

Subalpine: 1400 - 2400 m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

dry calcareous soils

Mean annual precipitation:

800 - 1600mm

Mean annual temperature:

1 - 4° C

Frost resistance:

?

Abundance:

Mountain plant of Central and Southern Europe

Forest type:

Mixed coniferous forest

Forest-building tree species:

Picea abies (Norway spruce), Larix decidua (European larch)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Pinus cembra (Swiss stone pine), Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash)

Characteristic dwarf shrubs, herbs and ferns:

Vaccinium vitis-idaea (cowberry), Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberry), Calamagrostis villosa (shaggy woodred)

Stand characteristics:

Dense ground-layer with many dwarf shrubs and a blanketing moss-layer

Areal:

Engadine, Valais and Northern Central Alps à continental regions

Altitude level:

Subalpine: 1400 - 2100m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

Dry and acid soil on acid parent material (silicate)

Mean annual precipitation:

700 - 1200mm

Mean annual temperature:

1° - 5°C

Frost resistance:

Larix decidua: resistant to ca. -60°C in winter. Picea abies: resistant to ca. -40°C in winter. Late frost (e.g. following early snowmelt in spring) can influence the rejuvenation negatively.

Abundance:

Wide-ranged in its areal

Forest type:

Mixed coniferous forest

Forest-building tree species:

Larix decidua (European larch), Pinus cembra (Swiss stone pine)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Pinus mugo ssp. uncinata (mountain pine), Picea abies (Norway spruce), Sorbus aucuparia (mountain ash)

Characteristic dwarf shrubs and herbs:

Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberry), Vaccinium vitis-idaea (cowberry), Rhododendron ferrugineum (rust-leaved alpenrose), Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair-grass), Juniperus nana (dwarf juniper)

Stand characteristics:

Trees grow in wide distances to each other. The ground-layer is dominated by dwarf shrubs. Old forests are dominated by Pinus cembra, younger forests by Larix decidua.

Areal:

Continental regions such as the Engadine and Valais. Relict stands occur in the Northern Alps.

Altitude level:

Upper-subalpine: 1700 - 2300m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

Fresh podsole with a heavy duff cover on silicate rock

Mean annual precipitation:

700 - 1600mm

Mean annual temperature:

-2° to 4°C

Frost resistance:

Pinus cembra: resistant to less than -47°C in winter. Larix decidua: resistant to c. -60°C in winter

Abundance:

Frequent in its areal, isolated and as relicts in the Northern Alps

Forest type:

Single-species forest

Forest-building tree species:

Larix decidua (European larch)

Occasionally occurring tree species:

Pinus cembra (Swiss stone pine)

Characteristic dwarf shrubs:

Juniperus nana (dwarf juniper)

Stand characteristics:

Grass-rich ground-layer with various dwarf shrubs

Areal:

Ticino, Poschiavo valley, Simplon region.

Altitude level:

1600 - 2100m

Occurrence up to the forest limit:

yes

Soil:

Podsole with duff-cover

Mean annual precipitation:

Up to 2500mm

Mean annual temperature:

0° - 6°C

Frost resistance:

Larix decidua: resistant to c. -60°C in winter

Abundance:

Wide-ranged in its areal. This forest community is anthropogenically influenced.