D33: Caucasian fir, spruce-fir and beech-fir forests (Abies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis) without evergreen understorey, partly alternating with Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis)

Title

Caucasian fir, spruce-fir and beech-fir forests (Abies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis) without evergreen understorey, partly alternating with Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis)

Geographical distribution

Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)

Piceeta orientale maculato-muscosa, Abieta festucosa, Abieta luzulosa, Fageto-Abieta festucosa, Piceeto-Abieta festucosa, Piceeta festucosa, Piceeta sicca, Piceeta nanoherbosa, Piceeto-Abieta nanoherbosa, Abieta nanoherbosa, Fageto-Abieta nanoherbosa, Fageto-Abieta filicosa (Doluchanov, 1989); Calamagrostio arundinaceae-Abietetum nordmannianae Korotkov & Belonovskaja 1987, Abieti-Fagetum orientalis Korotkov & Belonovskaja 1987.

Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)

Montane coniferous mixed forests, replaced in climatically less humid areas by analogous forests with an evergreen undergrowth (cf. D32). The tree layer of undisturbed natural forests is mostly of varying age. The height of the older tree generation (200-300 years) reaches 45-50 m, and the maximum height of individual trees amounts to 65 m. Unlike D32 pure fir forests are represented here more frequently together with beech-fir and spruce-fir forests. Except for the oriental beech, other deciduous trees play hardly any role. Evergreen shrubs, apart from a few exceptions, are absent from the undergrowth. Summer-green shrubs are seldom present, Rubus species are widespread, being frequent in beech fir forests. The herb layer in fir and beech-fir forests corresponds to that of beech forests (cf. F164). On relatively dry and sunny slopes Festuca drymeja prevails, and Vicia crocea is sometimes strongly represented. Low herbs of nemoral deciduous forests and a number of Caucasian species are distributed on fresh soils (Polygonatum orientale, Paris incompleta). Colchic species (Trachystemon orientalis, Symphytum ibericum, Pachyphragma macrophyllum) occur only occasionally and are much less frequently represented in this mapping unit than they are in D32.

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Diagnostically important species

Abies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis; Festuca drymeja, Vicia crocea, Polygonatum orientale, Paris incompleta, Ranunculus cappadocicus, Campanula rapunculoides subsp. cordifolia, Hieracium prenanthoides, Hieracium murorum agg., Goodyera repens*, Listera cordata*, Prenanthes abietina (* = species typical for Picea orientalis-forests)

Ecological variants

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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

North-Caucasian forests are represented by extensive fir and beech fir forests, and less by fir-spruce and pure spruce forests. Typical species include: Ilex stenocarpa, Rhododendron luteum, Lilium monadelphum, Centaurea abbreviata, Luzula sylvatica, Linnaea borealis. In northern Caucasia different regional variants can be distinguished: In the central part of northern Caucasia (headwaters of the mountain rivers of the Laba basin) the beech is more weakly represented and is suppressed by the fir. Highly productive fir forests prevail (individual firs are up to 60-65 m high). The spruce also reaches the same heights here in the spruce-fir forests. Colchic relicts recede here. In the eastern part of northern Caucasia spruce and pine-spruce forests are particularly prevalent (cf. D64), while fir and beech recede greatly in this area. In parts "boreal" species are also frequent here: Vaccinium myrtillus, Goodyera repens, Listera cordata, Moneses uniflora, Orthilia secunda, Pyrola media, Pyrola minor, Linnaea borealis, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Lycopodium annotinum.

Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)

In ravines there are broad-leaved forests with Alnus incana, Alnus barbata, Ulmus glabra, Acer platanoides, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia amongst others. In places rock forest complexes with rock and scree vegetation, sometimes open birch forests with Betula litwinowii, Sorbus aucuparia, Corylus avellana, Salix apoda, Salix kazbekensis, Rhododendron luteum, Rhododendron caucasicum, Rubus caucasicus, Rubus saxatilis etc..

Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)

krummholz and open woodlands (C41, C42, C44), fir and mixed fir forests (D32), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F163, F164), mixed hornbeam- oak forests (F170).

Land use, substitute communities

Site conditions of the mapping unit

Importance for nature protection

Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection

Most important references (author, year)

Davidov 1940; Doluchanov 1989; Džaparidze & Urušadze 1973; Golgofskaja 1967a; Golgofskaja 1967b; Grebenšcikov, Belonovskaja & Korotkov 1990; Gulisašvili 1966; Nachucrišvili 1999; Sosnin 1939

Compiled by

Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by A.G. Doluchanov, completed by N. Zazanašvili