Thermophilic trees: hop hornbeam, manna ash and downy oak

The sunny dry slopes of the Nure valley are mostly occupied by three species of tree commonly found in the hills and lower mountains: the hop hornbeam, the manna ash and the downy oak, all thermophilic (i.e. heat-loving)species.
Of these, the hop hornbeam is more widespread on sunny windy slopes with a cooler damper microclimate.
The manna ash and the downy oak are well suited to stony, well ventilated soils, poor in humus.
The downy oak is the most heat-loving of the common oaks. The oak woods are found where the climate is fairly dry, with limited frost and snow, and there is a time of year (summer) when rainfall drops considerably.