This association includes small-scale shrubby stands of Ribes alpinum and/or Rosa pendulina, rarely also R. majalis, often with Lonicera nigra or L. xylosteum, the former at lower and the latter at higher altitudes. It occurs in colline to montane forested landscapes on steep rocky or talus slopes, where the development of forest canopy is prevented by the absence of continuous soil cover. It is also found as a stage of secondary succession after forest disturbance. It occurs over a broad range of acidic and calcareous bedrock types.