Title
Southeast and Low Caucasian krummholz and open woodlands (Betula litwinowii, Acer trautvetteri, Quercus macranthera), scrub (Rhododendron caucasicum), tall-herb communities (Heracleum sosnowskyi, Aconitum orientale) and grasslands (Festuca woronowii, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Geranium ibericum)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Caucasus (Georgia; Russia; Azerbaijan): eastern part of the southwards exposed flank of the Greater Caucasus and some regions north of the Low Caucasus
area frequency
6 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Formation groups of subalpine krummholz forests, subalpine open woodlands, altimontane prostrate shrubs, of tall herb communities and subalpine grasslands (Doluchanov et al. 1942) = Betulo-Adenostyletea Braun-Blanquet & R. Tüxen 1943; Calluno-Ulicetea Braun-Blanquet & R. Tüxen ex Westhoff et al. 1946; Caricetea curvulae Braun-Blanquet 1948; Molinio-Arrhenatheretea R. Tüxen 1937.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
See C41 and C43; two-layered Quercus macranthera forests; mesophilous forms with park-like structure and a synusium consisting of grasses or ferns, average height 19-21 m, where the diameter of the 300 year-old stems is 55-70 cm and the density is 0.4-0.5. In the dry form the density and average height are slightly lower and a layer is formed from low juniper shrubs and meadow steppe vegetation.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
oak forests: mesophilous type with Quercus macranthera, Acer trautvetteri, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, partly Betula litwinowii, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
in the dry tyype: Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Juniperus communis subsp. oblonga
Herb layer
in the mesophilous type: Calamagrostis arundinacea, Poa longifolia, Geranium robertianum, Inula grandiflora, Dryopteris spp.; in the dry type: Festuca ovina, Koeleria macrantha, Carex humilis etc.
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
see C41: krummholz forests: Dryopteris oreades, Athyrium distentifolium, Oreopteris limbosperma, Sorbus aucuparia, Salix kazbekensis, Swertia iberica; Rhododendron communities: Empetrum hermaphroditum; tall herb communities: Heracleum spp.; grasslands: Poa iberica, Festuca djimilensis, Anemone fasciculata, Leontodon hispidus, Agrostis planifolia, Inula grandiflora, Linum hypericifolium, Trifolium trichocephalumsee C43: Heracleum sosnowskyi, Geranium ibericum, Astragalus captiosus, Carex humilis, Onobrychis biebersteinii
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Lilium monadelphum (Georgia).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Pine forests with Pinus kochiana (in the west of the area), beech forests with Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis (in the extreme west of the area), meadow steppes (in the east of the area), rock and rubble vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B56, B57, B58), krummholz and open woodlands (C42, C43), Fir and mixed fir forests (D33), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F164), mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F167, F170), steppes (M4).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
No plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grass meadows and grazing.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cultivation of potato and barley.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Communities with Veratrum lobelianum, Cirsium spp., Euphorbia spp., Rumex spp., Rumex pseudoalpinus, Polygonum aviculare, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Plantago spp.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
high-mountain regions; steep slopes with a heavily engraved relief, characterised by erosion and denudation as well as glacial forms (moraines, boulders etc.)
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
subalpine; 1800-2400(2500) m
Geology (bedrock)
predominantely clayslate, laminated clay and sandstone (Cretaceous, Jurassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mountain-meadow soils (mull-gley), highland forest-meadow soils (transitions between mull-gley and brown soils), brown forest soils (brown soils, burozem), partly andosol and lithosol; (lithic, umbric and rendzic leptosols; andosols; humic and dystric cambisols)
soil texture
loamy, clayey, stony
soil moisture, water balance
moist to moderately dry
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic (high content of humus (10 % or more), high to moderately high content of nitrogen, moderately high content of potassium, low content of phosphorus)
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2, VI(IV), X
average annual temperature
3-4 °C
average annual precipitation
800-900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
13-14 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-7 to -5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
moderately moist high mountain climate with long winters (4-5 months) and short summers (2-2,5 months) with a minimum of precipitation in winter. In gorges there is a different air humidity (maximum average of yearly precipitaion - in the surroundings of the Kreuzpass' - 1500 mm).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
see C43: The areas with subalpine forests have been reduced extremely; the upper tree line lies around 200-300 m (in parts 400 m) lower. A natural regeneration of the subalpine forest is not possible since a grassland soil horizon has formed under the secondary grass communities.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All species of subalpine forests and forest landscapes as well as tall herb communities.
causes of endangerment
Excessive grazing, hay and timber harvesting by the resident population; infrastructure development (streets, gas pipelines etc.), avalanches, landslides.
required measures for protection and restitution
Strict protection of the still remaining remnants, controlled grazing, restoration of the subalpine forests by replantation of tree species local to the sites, anti-erosion measures (establishment of protection forests etc.).
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Upper course of the Alazani (Lagodekhi reserve in Georgia, Zakatala reserve in Azerbaijan).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Abramov 1954; Buš & Buš 1936; Doluchanov 1942; Gadjiev 1962; Prilipko 1970a; Prilipko 1970b
Compiled by
N. Zazanašvili
