COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

elow 300 m a. s. l. The species has also become a characteristic landscape element in many open
agricultural districts of Great Britain as a long-standing and common shelterbelt species. A more
recent phase of beech plantation expansion took place between 1920 and 1960, mainly as part of
publicly-owned afforestation schemes within the native range of beech in southern England. Many
such plantations were on land formerly occupied by calcareous grasslands. This history of plantation
afforestation with beech has significantly expanded its land cover – it is now the third most abundant
productively-managed hardwood tree species in British forestry, following oak and ash.
ecoLoGIcaL TyPes oF brITIsh beechWoods
British beech woodlands are recognized to be of three main ecological types, dependent upon the
underlying soil conditions (Avery 1958, Peterken 1993, Rodwell 1991, Watt 1934). These types
closely resemble the classical beech woodland phyto-sociological communities of mainland/central
Europe. The main beechwood types are:
• calcareous beechwoods – classified as W12 in the UK National Vegetation Classification
(NVC) (Rodwell 1991). These are developed on shallow soils over calcareous strata such as
Cretaceous chalk and Jurassic limestone in southern England. Soils are mainly of the rendzina
and calcimorphic brown-earth types, with pH > in the subsoil. Many beech woodlands of this
type are on very steep scarp slopes (> 45 degrees) and are known as “beech hangers”. Common
tree species associates are ash (Fraxinus excelsior), yew (Taxus baccata), whitebeam (Sorbus aria)
and field maple (Acer campestre), with very localized occurrence of box (Buxus sempervirens)
which may be a Roman introduction. Two introduced maple species (Acer pseudoplatanus and
Acer platanoides) are also frequent. The predominant ground vegetation is of calcicole species
such as Mercurialis perennis, Allium ursinum, Sanicula europaea and Arum maculatum. An
extreme form of this community, where yew dominates over beech, has been recognized as NVC
W13. Some ecologists have divided the British calcareous beechwoods into two sub-types, one
with abundant Mercurialis perennis the other with Sanicula europaea prevalent (Watt 1934). The
latter is thought to be associated with particularly shallow drought-prone rendzina soils.
• mesotrophic beechwoods – classified as W14 in the UK National Vegetation Classification
(NVC). These are developed on brown earth soils of moderate fertility, over a wide range of
parent materials within and beyond the natural range of beech. Within the natural range, most
mesotrophic beechwoods are found on argillic clay soils over calcareous strata such as Cretaceous
chalk and Jurassic limestone. These occur extensively on the more gradual/concave “dip” slopes
behind escarpments. Common tree species associates are pedunculate oak (Quercus robur), ash
(Fraxinus excelsior), hazel (Corylus avellana) and the introduced sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus).
Elm species (Ulmus procera and Ulmus glabra) would also have been found in the past, prior to
devastation by the Dutch elm disease pathogen between 1930 and the present. The predominant
ground vegetation is of Rubus fruticosus, with mixed grasses/herbs. There is little apparent edaphic
or floristic distinction of these mesotrophic beechwoods from the mesotrophic oakwoods (NVC
W10), but beech does not grow well on the more poorly-drained clay soils and plantation of
beech onto such sites has often led to stand decline.
• acid beechwoods – classified as W15 in the UK National Vegetation Classification (NVC). These
are developed on mild podzols and podzolic brown earth soils of very low fertility (pH < 4),
over a range of parent materials within and beyond the natural range of beech. Within the native
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