Degeneration and Regression Processes in Carpinus betulus Forests of Trentino (North Italy) 8 Franco Pedrotti Abstract The goal of this note is to illustrate the processes of degeneration and regression underway in the forests of Galio laevigati-Carpinetum betuli in the hills of Gocciadoro, Central Alps, North Italy. In 1969, the woods of Galio-Carpinetum betuli still had good structural and floristic characteristics. Today, over 45 years later, the situation has changed and the association has undergone phenomena of degeneration and regression. In particular, today we observe the following: disappearance of almost half of the species, impoverishment of the species composition, reduction of the degree of cover of some species, increase in the degree of cover of some species (nitrophylous species), appearance of Neophytes (Robinia pseudacacia and Ailanthus altissima). From the phytocoenotic point of view, the consequence has been the disappearance of the Galio laevigati-Carpinetum betuli association, which today remains only in a small area of little more than 100 m 2 . Keywords Common hornbeam forests • Galio laevigati-Carpinetum betuli • Degeneration processes • Regression processes • North Italy 8.1 Introduction The European or common hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in Trentino (Central Alps, Northern Italy) forms woods of a certain importance only in Val d’Adige, Valsugana, Valle del Chiese and Val Rendena with the Galio laevigati-Carpinetum F. Pedrotti (*) Department of Botany and Ecology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy e-mail: franco.pedrotti@unicam.it # Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 A.M. Greller et al. (eds.), Geographical Changes in Vegetation and Plant Functional Types, Geobotany Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68738-4_8 169