Title
West Low Caucasian krummholz and open woodlands (Betula litwinowii, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Acer trautvetteri) with Quercus pontica, Betula medwediewii, scrub (Rhododendron caucasicum) with Rhododendron ungernii, tall-herb communities (Ligusticum alatum, Milium schmidtianum) with Heracleum cyclocarpum, Heracleum mantegazzianum and grasslands (Agrostis planifolia, Geranium platypetalum) with Euphorbia oblongifolia, Astragalus bachmarensis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Georgia: western part of the Low Caucasus (south Colchis, autonomy region Adjara)
area frequency
3 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Formation group of subalpine krummholz forests; subalpine open woodlands, altimontane prostrate shrubs, of tall herb communities, 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 C42; in addition: two- to three-layered Betula medwediewii forests, 3.5-4 m high, with an average stem height of 13-14 m. The trees are half low-lying; 2/3 of the stem length lies on the ground and is partly covered by the earth. These forests occur on northern slopes up to an altitude of 2000-2200 m. At the same altitude on southern slopes (see C42): Quercus pontica forests; Rhododendron ungernii communities with a height of 3-3.5 m, shrub forest structures.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Betula medwediewii forests: Betula medwediewii, Sorbus aucuparia, Salix caprea
Shrub layer
Betula medwediewii forests: Prunus laurocerasus, Rhododendron caucasicum, Rhododendron ponticum; Rhododendron ungernii communituies: Rhododendron ponticum, Rhododendron luteum, Prunus laurocerasus, Vaccinium arctostaphylos
Herb layer
Betula medwediewii forests: Adenostyles platyphylloides, Adenostyles macrophylla, Oreopteris limbosperma
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Sorbus aucuparia, Sorbus subfusca, Salix caucasica, Heracleum spp., Ligusticum alatum, Angelica purpurascens, Adenostyles spp., Athyrium distentifolium, Dryopteris oreades, Oreopteris limbosperma etc.
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Betula medwediewii, Quercus pontica, Rhododendron ungernii, Heracleum cyclocarpum, Heracleum mantegazzianum, Angelica adzharica, Euphorbia oblongifolia, Astragalus bachmarensis, as well as Prunus laurocerasus, Rhododendron ponticum, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Rhamnus imeretina, Ilex colchica, Daphne pontica etc.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Fir forests (Abies nordmanniana), spruce forests (Picea orientalis), rock and rubble vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B58), fir forests (D32), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F163).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
No plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Hay meadows and pastures, collection of plants for medicinal purposes.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Potato cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Communities with Veratrum lobelianum, Cirsium spp., Daphne pontica, Euphorbia ssp., Rumex pseudoalpinus, Polygonum aviculare, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Plantago ssp.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
high-mountain regions with a relief shaped by erosion and denudation
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
subalpine; 1800-2500 m
Geology (bedrock)
volcanic rocks (predominantely andesite); clays, chalky clay, sandstone (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mountain-meadow soils (mull-gley), highland forest-meadow soils (transition between mull-gley and brown soils), brown forest soils (brown soils, burozem), partly andosol and lithosol; (dystric and humic cambisols, lithic and umbric leptosols; andosols)
soil texture
clayey, stony
soil moisture, water balance
moist to fresh
soil reaction
acidic to neutral (below oleander shrubs and below forests with Rhododendron mostly acidic soils; the remaining weakly acidic, partly 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)
X
average annual temperature
3-5 °C
average annual precipitation
1800-2000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
13-14 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-6 to -5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
see C42: wet high-mountain (and sea) climate with long, cold winters (4-5 months) and warm, short summers (2-2,5 months). In gorges there is a different air humidity; it decreases generally from the west to the east.
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 to the extreme, and the tree line now 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. Catastrophic avalanches and severe landslides are becoming more frequent.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All subalpine types of forest and tall herb communities.
causes of endangerment
Timber harvesting by the resident population, intense grazing, sometimes tourism.
required measures for protection and restitution
See C43: Protection of the residual subalpine forests, controlled grazing, restoration of the subalpine forests by replantation of tree species local to the sites (establishment of protection forests etc.), anti-erosion measures, supervision of avalanches and landslides.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Georgia: catchment area of the Kintrishi (Kintrishi reserve).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Doluchanov 1956; Kolakovskij 1961; Machatadze & Urušadze 1972; Mandžavidze 1982; Matvejeva 1963; Memiadze 1970
Compiled by
N. Zazanašvili
