This association of spruce forest is characterized by a high cover of the fern Athyrium distentifolium and subalpine tall forbs. It occurs most often at altitudes of 1150–1250 m in places with accumulation of thick snow cover which is persistent until late spring. The snow cover protects vegetation from winter frosts, delays the start of the growing season and improves soil water supply. Such habitats are characterized by a better litter decomposition and faster nutrient cycling than in other spruce forests. It is a natural vegetation type forming small patches enclosed in the matrix of the Calamagrostio villosae-Piceetum abietis forests. In the Czech Republic it occurs mainly in the Sudetes and Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains, but scattered sites are also found in other mountain ranges over 1000 m.