9160 Sub-Atlantic and medio-European oak or oak-hornbeam forests of the Carpinion betuli

European status and distribution

This type of hornbeam woodland is predominantly a central European habitat type with its core centred on the better quality brown earth soils in the sub-Atlantic region that includes much of Germany, south Scandinavia, the low countries, and western parts of France and Austria.

UK status and distribution

This type of hornbeam woodland (Stellario–Carpinetum) is a rare habitat type in the UK, where it occurs only in the south of England. Hornbeam stands themselves are somewhat more widespread, but as they normally have abundant bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta they fall into the separate Endymio–Carpinetum type.

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Site accounts

• Blean Complex Kent
  At Blean in south-east England, hornbeam Carpinus betulus coppice occurs interspersed with pedunculate oak Quercus robur stands and introduced sweet chestnut Castanea sativa. Great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica is locally dominant in the woodland, and the characteristic greater stitchwort Stellaria holostea is found in more open patches. The stands have traditionally been managed as coppice, and are one of the British strongholds for the heath fritillary butterfly Mellicta athalea.
• Wormley Hoddesdonpark Woods Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire
  Wormley Hoddesdonpark Woods in south-east England has large stands of almost pure hornbeam Carpinus betulus (former coppice), with sessile oak Quercus petraea standards. Areas dominated by bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta do occur, but elsewhere there are stands of great wood-rush Luzula sylvatica with carpets of the mosses Dicranum majus and Leucobryum glaucum. Locally, a bryophyte community more typical of continental Europe occurs, including the mosses Dicranum montanum, D. flagellare and D. tauricum.