Title
South Albanian fir forests (Abies borisii-regis) with Hypericum haplophylloides, Daphne mezereum, Calamintha grandiflora, mostly on calcareous rocks
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Albania
area frequency
5 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Abietetum borisii-regis.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
As a rule the tree layer consists only of Abies borisii-regis, but in some places (Mali: Thate, Morava, Devoll, Ersekë) Fagus sylvatica or Pinus nigra (Llogara) are also added.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Abies borisii-regis, partly with admixture of Pinus nigra, in the north-east locally Fagus sylvatica, in the south Fraxinus ornus
Shrub layer
Sorbus graeca, Daphne mezereum
Herb layer
Sesleria coerulans, Brachypodium pinnatum, Galium lucidum agg., Silene vulgaris, Anthericum liliago, Hypericum haplophylloides
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Abies borisii-regis; Hypericum haplophylloides
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
in the north-east with beech, in the south with Fraxinus ornus.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Quercetum pubescentis.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
oak-hornbeam forests (F66), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57), holm oak forests (J22), fir forests (K14).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High-mountain regions, rocky, (not very steep) slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane; 1200-1600 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown forest soils; (calcaric regosols; chromic luvisols; calcic cambisols)
soil texture
rocky, stony, loamy
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(V)a
average annual temperature
8-12 °C
average annual precipitation
1600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
0-3 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
sometimes protected in national parks (Llogara).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Hypericum haplophylloides especially worthy of protection, because it is endemic in Albania.
causes of endangerment
Pasturing, natural fires, clearing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Areas with semi-natural stands should be placed under protection.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
South-west Albania: Llogara, Bredhi i Sotires, Bredhi i Hotoves, Bredhi i Zheit.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Paparisto, Demiri, Mitrushi & Qosja 1988; Vangjeli & Ruci 1995
Compiled by
J. Vangjeli
