T111 Temperate and boreal riverine Salix forest

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Description

Deciduous hygrophilous forests on deep, relatively fertile, heavy soils, in the wide alluvial plains of large rivers or in low-lying, often damp areas of old sedimentary basins, experiencing only rare and usually non-violent floods.

Protection

Riverine formations mostly match the definition of 91E0* ("Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior [Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae]"), protected with priority by the EU Habitat Directive. In might be argued that submediterranean variants rich in narrow-leaved ash are on their part covered by code 91B0 ("Thermophilous Fraxinus angustifolia wood"), even though the Manual explicitly excludes those growing on alluvial soils.

Floristic Composition

Frequent species

Fraxinus angustifolia 79%, Brachypodium sylvaticum 73%, Populus nigra 66%, Hedera helix aggr. 63%, Crataegus monogyna 61%, Rosa canina aggr. 54%, Rubus ulmifolius 54%, Cornus sanguinea 52%, Clematis vitalba 52%, Urtica dioica 50%, Ulmus minor 46%, Heracleum sphondylium 39%, Rubus caesius 39%, Alnus glutinosa aggr. 39%, Ligustrum vulgare 38%, Alliaria petiolata 38%, Corylus avellana 31%, Salix atrocinerea 31%, Galium aparine aggr. 31%, Sambucus nigra 30%, Dioscorea communis 30%, Euphorbia amygdaloides 29%, Salix purpurea 29%, Prunus spinosa 28%, Bryonia dioica 27%, Geranium robertianum 27%, Dactylis glomerata 27%, Viola riviniana aggr. 26%, Lonicera periclymenum 25%, Elymus caninus 24%, Salix eleagnos 24%, Geum urbanum 24%, Rubia peregrina 24%, Acer campestre 24%, Humulus lupulus 23%, Lapsana communis 23%, Solanum dulcamara 23%, Viburnum lantana 23%, Buxus sempervirens 23%, Equisetum arvense 22%, Vitis vinifera 21%, Angelica sylvestris 21%, Iris foetidissima 20%, Carex pendula 19%, Fraxinus excelsior 18%, Ranunculus repens 18%, Arum italicum 18%, Polystichum setiferum 18%, Saponaria officinalis 17%, Lythrum salicaria 16%, Lonicera xylosteum 16%, Ruscus aculeatus 15%, Chaerophyllum temulum 15%, Filipendula ulmaria 15%, Salix alba 15%, Helleborus foetidus 15%, Melissa officinalis 15%, Juglans regia 14%, Ficaria verna 14%, Frangula alnus 14%, Euonymus europaeus 14%, Rumex sanguineus 13%, Salix euxina 13%, Arctium minus 13%, Rhamnus cathartica 12%, Teucrium scorodonia 12%, Acer pseudoplatanus 12%, Mentha suaveolens 12%, Eupatorium cannabinum 12%, Rumex conglomeratus 11%, Rosa micrantha 11%, Schedonorus giganteus 11%, Torilis arvensis aggr. 11%, Salix salviifolia 11%, Salix triandra 11%, Prunus avium 11%, Iris pseudacorus 11%, Oenanthe crocata 10%, Prunella vulgaris 10%, Silene baccifera 10%, Poa nemoralis 10%, Ranunculus acris 10%, Anthriscus sylvestris 10%, Calystegia sepium 9%, Chelidonium majus 9%, Viola alba 8%, Crepis lampsanoides 8%, Lycopus europaeus 8%, Circaea lutetiana 8%, Brachypodium phoenicoides 8%, Stellaria holostea 7%, Stachys sylvatica 7%, Prunus domestica 7%, Holcus lanatus 7%, Erica arborea 7%, Epilobium hirsutum 7%, Quercus robur 7%, Pteridium aquilinum 7%, Phragmites australis 7%, Cruciata laevipes 7%, Bromus ramosus 7%, Lysimachia vulgaris 6%, Viburnum opulus 6%, Poa trivialis 6%, Potentilla reptans 6%, Hypericum perforatum 6%, Ulmus glabra 6%, Quercus pyrenaica 6%, Thalictrum minus 6%, Taraxacum sect. Taraxacum 6%, Carex flacca 6%, Mentha aquatica 6%, Rumex obtusifolius 6%, Salix cantabrica 6%, Arrhenatherum elatius 6%

Phytosociology

  • Aro cylindracei-Ulmetum minoris
  • Hedero hibernicae-Fraxinetum angustifoliae
  • Omphalodo nitidae-Fraxinetum angustifoliae
  • Salicetum angustifolio‐albae
  • Salicetum cantabrico‐albae
  • Salici neotrichae-Populetum nigrae
  • Viburno lantanae-Ulmetum minoris

Relations with other habitat types

When riparian, these forests occupy fringes farther from the permanent riverbed than T121. The best match of the regional representatives within EUNIS is somewhat ambiguous, but the definition of T11111 ("Western European white willow forests") suggests that T111 is actually the best choice at level IV. However, it should be kept in mind, under the perspective of possible future revisions, that in the more submediterranean areas of the ecoregion, especially towards the SW, Fraxinus angustifolia becomes very frequent, mostly in the outermost fringe of the floodplains, where it may intermix with the zonal T19A, an alternative adscription to T144 ("Mediterranean riparian Fraxinus forests"; or even, more locally, T143 ["Mediterranean riparian Ulmus forests"]) becoming highly tempting.

Regional distribution

The fertile and readily plowed flat alluvial soils typically occupied by these forests were massively transformed into wet meadows (R352, R55) and croplands (as well as, especially in central Asturias, erased by industrial and urban sprawl). Therefore, minimally mature and extensive stands of this forest type are nowadays exceedingly rare.

Known occurrences and potential area of occupancy of the habitat type in the study region.

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Citation: IBEROATLANTICA – Flora and Habitats of the Cantabrian Mixed Forests ecoregion.
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