(9160) – MESOPHILE BEECH WOOD DOMINATED SITES Stellario-Carpinetum beech woods
 

Characterisation of typology and ecological demands.
A group of sites characterised by the presence of certain forest formations dominated by the Pedunculate Oak and hornbeam, attributable to the Oak Shark beeches group. This mainly regards planitial formations sometimes in contact with hygrophile trees and small lakes. Of the habitats that appear in this typology mention must be made of the European dry heaths (4030) and habitats typical of planitial environment such as small lakes (*3170, 3150), sheltered forests (91F0, 92A0) and flooded grasslands (6420).
For the majority of sites in this group, the presence of an extremely high unconfined acquifer is to be considered in the ecological factors.
Its distribution is limited to the central-northern part of Italy.
The sites concerned have a very variable surface area mainly around 110 hectares, with a minimum altitude of about 600 metres.
The forest cover is extremely variable, mainly around 50% of the site’s surface area; its variability is probably due to contact with other kinds of plants (for example hygrophile plants) or with planitial areas.
Indicators.
The possible poor quality of conservation may be indicated by the presence of cosmopolitan species and widespread distribution, which are correlated to frequent coppicing (the cut-off score is a number of cosmopolitan species and of widespread distribution in an elementary tree population > 15% of the total flora).
Examples of indicators of good quality conservation are elevated biodiversity in the insect community, with the presence of middle-European species, sometimes relicts, often in common with mires, and the prominence of beetles of common interest such as the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) and the Great Capricorn Beetle (Cerambyx cerdo).
Additionally biodiversity is indicated by the considerable variety of birds: (Passeriformes, such as: the Wood Warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix – the Short-toed Treecreeper , Certhia brachydactyla – the Yellowhammer, Emberiza chrinella) as well as woodpeckers ( example: the Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis – the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos major – the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Dendrocopos minor – the Eurasian Wryneck, Jynx torquilla). There are also birds typical of sheltered and hydrophilic vegetation