EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

52 NOMINATION DOSSIER "ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
Fig. 2.10: Distribution of forest
communities and other biotope
types in Serrahn
Biotic factors
Biotopes and vegetation
Serrahn´s beech forests are of the Galio odorati-Fagetum
(woodruff beech forest) type
with medium to lower trophic levels, the
acido philous beech forest (Luzulo- Fagetum)
type with Avenella fl exuosa and May Lily
(Maianthemum bifolium), the pine-beech
forest type, and sessile oak-beech forest type,
which are peculiar regional development
stages. Th e slope angles, which for lowlands
are remarkably steep in places, have a modifying
eff ect on the forest communities, with
both profound moist emplacement areas and
natural small-scale denudation zones where
the soil is being depleted of nutrients. Further
more, the property contains six meso trophic-acidic
kettle-hole mires (about 4 ha) and
two eutrophic swamp mires (about 2 ha). Th e
kettle-hole mires are to be classed as near-natural,
the swamp mires as moderately drained.
Wet sites are populated with elongated sedgealder
carrs, which is a characteristic element
of lowland beech forest landscapes (fi g. 2.10).
Flora
Th e herb layer of Serrahn’s beech forests
does not comprise any distinctly rare
species. European Wood Anemone (Anemone
nemorosa), May Lily (Maianthemum
bifolium), Wood Mellick (Melica unifl ora),
Oak Fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris),
Yellow Archangel (Galeobdolon luteum), and
Wood Millet (Milium eff usum) are typical
species.
Twice as many moss species as compared
to the nearby managed forests are found in
the beech forests, which have not been
managed for 50 years (WIEHLE 1994),
with Metzgeria furcata (Red List 3) and
Ptilidium pulcherrimum being examples of
the less frequent species.
SCHURIG (1995) found 154 fungal species
in the area. Th e endangered fungi Xylobolus
frustulatus, Hericium erinaceus, Creopus
gelatinosus, and Phellinus pini are mentioned
as distinctive. Th e Horse’s Hoof Fungus
(Fomes fomentarius), which is one of the main