Title
Balkanic-Macedonian scrub (Pinus mugo, Alnus alnobetula, Salix waldsteiniana), partly alternating with Juniperus communis subsp. alpina-scrub, in the south Chamaecytisus eriocarpus- and Vaccinium myrtillus-dwarf shrub communities without Pinus mugo, mainly on siliceous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Bulgaria: Rila, Pirin, Vitoša, Rhodope mountains, Stara Planina; Yugoslavia: Kosovo, Montenegro: Durmitor, Prokletije mountains; Macedonia: Jakupica, Šar mountains; Albania: Mali Ismet Sali-Bruçaj mountains; north Greece: border mountains to Macedonia and Bulgaria
area frequency
18 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
ass. Pinus mugo-Vaccinium myrtillus-Pleurozium schreberi Bondev 1959; ass. Chamaecytisus absinthoides-Juniperus sibirica; ass. Chamaecytisus absinthoides-Festuca valida among others; Achilleo-Pinetum mugo Rexhepi (1981) 1983*, Pinetum mugo serpentinicum Rexhepi (1981) 1982, Wulfenio-Pinetum mugo M. Janković & Bogojević 1967*, Pinetum mugo Mišić & Popović 1978* (units of Albania are marked with *); ass. Vaccinium myrtillus et Cytisus hirsutus subsp. polytrichus Quézel 1969. Sorbo-Mugetum Jovanović 1955, Pinetum mugo macedonicum Em 1962, Ptilotricho-Bruckenthalio-Pinetum mugo Janković & Bogojević (1974) 1976, Achilleo-Pinetum mugo Rexhapi 1983, Gentiano dinaricae-Pinetum mugo Lakušić et al. 1979; Salici-Alnetum viridis Ćolić, Mišić & Popović 1964, Alnetum hypochlorae Lakušić 1960, Athyrio-Alnetum viridis Stefanović & Beus 1975; Aquilegio-Rhododendretum hirsuti Lakušić et al. 1979, Junipero-Sempervivetum schlehanii Blečić 1966, Vaccinio-Juniperetum sibiricae Mišić 1964 among others.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Usually three (shrub, herb, moss layer), and seldom two layers; in the upper layer with Pinus mugo and Sorbus species, in the lower layer with Daphne and Lonicera species; in Greece there are dwarf shrub communities that are sometimes overgrown with grass, which depending on soil depth may be closed to interspersed. At the lower altitude limit groups and isolated specimens of Picea abies, Pinus peuce and Pinus heldreichii are present.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Shrub layer
Pinus mugo, Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus chamaemespilus, Daphne mezereum, Daphne oleoides, Lonicera nigra, Lonicera alpigena, Alnus alnobetula, Salix waldsteiniana, Salix lapponum; Juniperus communis subsp. alpina; additionally in Greece: Genista depressa, Chamaecytisus polytrichus, Chamaecytisus eriocarpus
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Festuca valida, Deschampsia flexuosa, Luzula sylvatica subsp. sylvatica; Achillea alexandri-regis, Scorzonera rosea, Wulfenia carinthiaca, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Jasione orbiculata, Poa badensis, Potentilla aurea subsp. chrysocraspeda, Campanula abietina, Hypochaeris radicata; Festuca panciciana, Fritillaria messanensis, Potentilla aurea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Cetraria islandica, Dicranum scoparium, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Plagiomnium undulatum
Diagnostically important species
Pinus mugo, Alnus alnobetula; on siliceous rock: Rhododendron myrtifolium, Chamaecytisus eriocarpus, Festuca valida; on calcareous soils: Daphne oleoides, Daphne kosaninii, Dryas octopetala, Achillea alexandri-regis, Bornmuellera dieckii, Stachys scardica, Pedicularis heterodonta, Potentilla australis, Bromus riparius, Festuca panciciana, Wulfenia carinthiaca, Phyteuma pseudorbiculare, Geum bulgaricum, Cicerbita pancicii, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Jasione orbiculata, Campanula abietina
Ecological variants
See under the heading 'Diagnostically important species'.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Pinus mugo-scrub mainly in the Rila and Pirin mountains, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina scrub in the Stara Planina, Rhodope, Vitosa, and in part the Osogovo mountains, Chamaecytisus absinthoides communities in the Osogovo, Slavjanka, and in part the Pirin and Rhodope mountains; in Yugoslavia, Macedonia: Achillea alexandri-regis, Stachys scardica in the Osljak mountains, and Wulfenia carinthiaca, Cicerbita pancicii in the Prokletije mountains; in northern Albania with Fritillaria messanensis, Festuca panciciana; in Greece with Genista depressa, Buckenthalia spiculifolia, Chamaecytisus polytrichus, Chamaecytisus eriocarpus without Pinus mugo.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Alnus alnobetula scrub, moist Nardus, Carex acuta communities, in wind exposed areas Loiseleurietum; alpine grassland on silicate rock, altimontane coniferous and beech forests, subalpine spring vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B54, B55), alpine rose-dwarf pine scrub (C38), spruce forests (D38, D41), pine forests (D61, D63), oak-hornbeam forests (F66), species-poor beech and fir-beech forests (F103), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F124, F151, F153, F154), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G58), pine forests (K6), black pine forests (K16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
---
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Nardus stricta community; Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Festuca valida, Chamaecytisus absinthoides, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Dryas octopetala, Agrostis capillaris, Bellardiochloa variegata communities amongst others; in addition communities of the Edraiantho-Seslerion and Seslerion comosae alliances; summer grazing by sheep herds. C39 in Greece is presumably a purely anthropozoogenic community derived from potential beech, fir, pine and spruce forests (cf. Horvat, Glavač, Ellenberg, p. 587 ff.).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Rumex pseudoalpinus community, Polygonum cognatum community.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
high-mountain regions; subalpine peak areas and slope sites
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supramontane; subalpine; (1800) 2000-2500 (2600) m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate rocks (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic) and siliceous rocks (Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
humus carbonate soil, ranker with raw humus; dark mountain soils; shallow humus-rich forest soils; raw soil, AC soils, brown loams; often stone-rich; (chromic (stony) luvisols; humic (stony) and dystric (stony) cambisols; leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
(fresh) moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
acidic, weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic, (meso-eutrophic)
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
4-6 °C
average annual precipitation
900-1200 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 12-13 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -6 to -4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Transition climate between continental and Mediterranean climate, with two precipitation-maxima (V-VI and XI-I); influence of the Pirin upon the Mediterranean climate; in Greece snow-rich (winterrain climate).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
All remaining stands are in need of protection and play a major role in water and soil protection. Up to now they have been identified in numerous nature reserves and two national parks (Stara planina, Rila, Pirin, Vitosa national park with two nature reserves); not endangered in Greece, but many species find themselves at the southern limit of their distribution range.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Rhododendron myrtifolium community, Primula deorum community; Species: Rhododendron myrtifolium, Gentiana punctata, in most meadows also Leontodon croceus subsp. rilaensis, in Bruckenthalia stands Senecio pancicii and Trollius europaeus.
causes of endangerment
Grazing, tourism.
required measures for protection and restitution
Establishment of additional nature reserves and national parks for the protection of semi-natural stands is necessary.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: Stara planina, Rila: Meričina ezera, Pirin: Džindžirica, national parks: Vitoša, Rila, Pirin; Greece: Varnous mountains (Kalo Nero), Vrondous mountains (Laila), Belles mountains (Kerkini), Pieria mountains (all at the border to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Bondev 1959; Bondev 1991; Mišić et al. 1978; Quézel 1969; Vangjeli 1982; Zupančič et al. 1986
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Bondev, completed by M. Zupančič, J. Vangjeli; Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier
