Title
East Low Caucasian krummholz and open woodlands (Quercus macranthera, Acer trautvetteri, Betula litwinowii), scrub (Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Juniperus sabina), grasslands (Festuca woronowii, Bromus variegatus, Anemone fasciculata) with Trifolium bordzilowsky, partly tall-herb communities (Milium effusum, Galega orientalis, Lilium armenum), alternating with dry grasslands (Festuca ovina, Carex humilis) with Medicago papillosa, true steppes (Festuca valesiaca, Stipa tirsa, Stipa pulcherrima), partly with thorn-cushion mountain vegetation (Astragalus aureus, Astragalus lagopoides)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ridge of hills of the Low Caucasus (Georgia; Armenia: highlands of Djavakheti; Azerbaijan)
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Formation group of subalpine open woodlands, subalpine krummholz forests, subalpine grasslands, altimontane prostrate shrubs, of tall herb communities (Doluchanov et al. 1942), subalpine meadow steppes (Lavrenko 1940), montane Stipa steppes, oreo-xerophytic vegetation (Grossgejm 1948) = Querco-Fagetea Braun-Blanquet & Vlieger 1937, Betulo- Adenostyletea Braun-Blanquet & R. Tüxen 1943; Caricetea curvulae Braun-Blanquet 1948; Festuco-Brometea Braun-Blanquet & R. Tüxen in Braun-Blanquet 1949.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Two- to three-layered Quercus macranthera forests and forests with a park-like structure, average height 8-10 m, density 0.3-0.5(0.6), distributed from 1800 to 2500 m above sea level. Genuine steppes are distributed from an altitude of 2200 m with an average growth height of 25-30 cm, tussock cushion structure, 70-80 % degree of coverage. Thorn-cushion vegetation: mainly on skeletal-rich soils, rocky or stony biotopes, average growth height of 25-30 cm. For the remaining units see C43.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
see also C43
Tree layer
krummholz forests: Betula litwinowii, Populus tremula, Sorbus aucuparia, Pinus kochiana, Quercus macranthera; oak forests: dry type - Quercus macranthera, rarely Acer hyrcanum, Pyrus zangezura, Sorbus armeniaca, Sorbus persica; mesophilous type - Quercus macranthera, partly Sorbus aucuparia, Betula litwinowii
Shrub layer
krummholz forests: Rhododendron caucasicum, Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica; oak forests: dry type - partly Juniperus communis subsp. hemisphaerica, Spiraea hypericifolia; mesophilous type - Ribes biebersteinii, Lonicera caucasica, Rosa spp., Viburnum lantana
Herb layer
krummholz forests: Senecio othonnae, Campanula latifolia, Stachys macrantha; oak forests: dry type - Festuca valesiaca, Festuca ovina, Carex humilis, Koeleria macrantha, Stipa tirsa, Scabiosa bipinnata, Prangos ferulacea; mesophilous type - Stachys macrantha, Symphytum asperum, Doronicum macrophyllum, Astrantia maxima, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Silene vulgaris subsp. commutata; Thorn-cushion vegetation: Astragalus aureus, Astragalus lagopoides, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha, Stipa tirsa, Thymus spp., Phleum phleoides, Scutellaria orientalis; true steppes: Stipa tirsa, Festuca valesiaca, Koeleria macrantha, Thymus spp., Bromus variegatus, Stipa pulcherrima, Oxytropis albana, Carex humilis, Galium verum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Sorbus armeniaca, Sorbus persica, Koeleria albovii, Scabiosa caucasica, Lilium szovitsianum
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Medicago papillosa, Trifolium bordzilowsky, Lilium armenum, Thymus kotschyanus.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Rock and rubble vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B58), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F164), oak forests (F172), open juniper woodlands (K33), steppes (M4, M11).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pasture grounds, hay meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Potato cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Communities with Cirsium spp., Carduus spp., Verbascum spp., sometimes Veratrum lobelianum, Polygonum spp., Capsella bursa-pastoris, Plantago spp., Rumex pseudoalpinus.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
high-mountain regions with volcanic forms (plateaux, hollows, saddles etc.), tectonic relief forms, sometimes glacial forms from older ice-ages
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
subalpine; (1800) 2000-(2500)2600-2700 m
Geology (bedrock)
Pliocene-Quaternary basement rock of volcanic origin (andesites, basalts, tuffs)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mountain-meadow soils (mull-gley), chernozemes (potentially andosol) of the highlands, dark brown soils below forest, burozem, partly lithosol; (lithic leptosols; andosols; dystric and humic cambisols)
soil texture
clayey, loamy, stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, 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
600-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-15 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-5 to -4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
altimontane moderately dry climate with long and cold winters (4-5 months) and short summers (2-2,5 months). In gorges there is a different air humidity; it decreases from the west to the east.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The areas with subalpine forests have been reduced greatly due to anthropogenic influences. The main forest formations have been cleared almost everywhere and the natural regeneration has been suppressed in all forests.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All subalpine types of forest, tall herb communities, partly grasslands.
causes of endangerment
Intensive grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the still remaining areas with subalpine forest and restoration by replantation of tree species local to the sites, controlled grazing.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Catchment area of the Kiurakchai (Gey-Gel reserve in Azerbaijan, Dilijan and Khosrov reserve in Armenia).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Achverdov & Doluchanov 1930; Doluchanov 1955; Grossgejm 1948; Machatadze 1957; Magak’jan 1941a; Magak’jan 1941b; Prilipko 1954; Prilipko 1970a; Prilipko 1970b; Tachtadžjan 1941b
Compiled by
N. Zazanašvili
