Title
Carpathian mixed fir forests (Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, partly Picea abies) with Cardamine glanduligera
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Poland: High Tatras, west Carpathians; Slovakia: High and Lower Tatra
area frequency
7 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
predominately Galio rotundifolii-Piceetum carpaticum J. Matuszkiewicz 1977 (Vaccinio-Piceenion) and - so far- the Oxalidi-Abietetum Celinski & Wojterski 1978 (Galio-Abietenion).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Tree layer 70-90 % (coniferous trees dominating); well developed shrub layer; the herb layer reaches 50-65 % coverage while the moss layer occupies 35 % of the surface.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies alba predominating, with admixture of Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, partly Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
Abies alba (often accompanied), Lonicera nigra, Rosa pendulina, Sambucus racemosa, Ribes petraeum
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Homogyne alpina, Poa stiriaca, Cicerbita alpina, Ranunculus platanifolius, Gentiana asclepiadea, Doronicum austriacum, Cardamine glanduligera, Prenanthes purpurea, Lamium galeobdolon, Sanicula europaea
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Dicranum scoparium, Hylocomium splendens, Polytrichum formosum, Pleurozium schreberi
Diagnostically important species
Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, partly Picea abies; character-, differential species of the associations (within the lower montane zone): Galium rotundifolium, Moneses uniflora, Orthilia secunda, Corallorrhiza trifida; Mnium spinosum; differential species towards D24: Lonicera nigra and some Querco-Fagetea-species (Cardamine glanduligera, Dryopteris filix-mas, Epilobium montanum, Lamium galeobdolon, Prenanthes purpurea, Sanicula europaea, Viola reichenbachiana).
Ecological variants
in northern, north-east and north-west exposures in the montane belt on weakly acid soils there is a formation type with Calamagrostis villosa, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Oxalis acetosella, Carex pilulifera, Dryopteris carthusiana and Dryopteris dilatata.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the eastern part of Slovakia Symphytum cordatum is a geographic differential species.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Carpathian fir-beech forest (Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum), Vaccinio-Piceion communities, Sphagnum magellanicum raised bogs.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce forests (D34a, D36), oak-hornbeam forests (F43, F58), species-poor beech forests (F86, F97), species-rich beech forests (F120, F135), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G16), brown mires (S24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
frequent usage form: fir and spruce plantations with rotation times of 100 years.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
annually or biannually mown, sometimes grazed grass meadows (Gladiolo-Agrostietum, Polygono-Trisetion, Cynosurion).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
rare and only at lower altitudes: (rye), oat and potato fields; cereal and root crop fields with Geranio-Silenetum gallicae Kornas (1955) 1968 (Secalietea, Caucalidion lappulae).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
invasive community with Heracleum mantegazzianum, Carduetum personatae Hadač et al. 1969, Geranio phaei-Urticetum dioicae Hadač et al. 1969.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
foothills and lower altitudes of high-mountain regions
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane; (500) 700-1000 (1300) m
Geology (bedrock)
flysch; base-rich sandstone and conglomerates (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich brown soils; (eutric cambisols)
soil texture
lightly loamed to loamy, mostly stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to periodicallymoist
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
meso- to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI9b, VI(X)b
average annual temperature
4-5 °C
average annual precipitation
950-1100 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-16 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-6 to -5,5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
cool temperate, suboceanic-montane.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
protection worthy, presumably subendemic community.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural forest stands; rare species: Clematis alpina, Cypripedium calceolus, Lycopodium annotinum, Streptopus amplexifolius.
causes of endangerment
Pollutant emission, forestry, agricultural use.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation by different kinds of protective measures necessary.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Poland: national parks Babia Gora, Gorce and Tatra; Slovakia: national parks Vysoké Tatry a Nizke Tatry (High and Lower Tatra).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Slovakia: Javorina-Belanske Tatry (species-rich meadows of the Polygono-Trisetion Alliance).
Most important references (author, year)
Celiński & Wojterski 1978; Magic 1986; Matuszkiewicz 1977; Michalko, Magic, Berta, Rybníček & Rybníčková 1986(1987); Sillinger 1933
Compiled by
W. Matuszkiewicz, completed by Š. Maglocký
