Title
Balkanic Balkan pine forests (Pinus peuce), partly with Wulfenia carinthiaca, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. microphyllum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Jasione orbiculata, Geum montanum, partly in combination with Pinus mugo-scrub
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Yugoslavia: Montenegro, Kosovo; Macedonia; Albania; Bulgaria: Rila-, Pirin-mountains, Rhodope mountains, Balkan mountains; north Greece: at the border to Macedonia
area frequency
6 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Wulfenio-Pinetum peucis Blečić & Tatic 1957, Pinetum peucis typicum Janković 1959, Gentiano luteae-Pinetum peucis Em 1960, Digitali viridiflorae-Pinetum peucis Em 1960, Potentillo-Pinetum peucis Janković 1959; Pineta peucis Bondev 1991.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Relict pine forests between the spruce or beech belt and the subalpine krummholz belt. The endemic and relict Molika pine (Pinus peuce) sets the tone, while Picea abies, Abies alba and rarely Fagus sylvatica linn. are also occasionally added. The tree layer is loose while the shrub layer is usually well developed and species-rich, with many rare and protected species. At extreme sites the degree of coverage of the shrub layer can however be very small. Pinus peuce is very vivid and rejuvenates itself generatively very well. The herb layer is dwarf shrub and perennial-rich with Vaccinio-Piceetea and Querco-Fagetea species. The combination of Balkan, often endemic species with "boreal" coniferous forest species is characteristic. The moss layer is only well developed on fresh sites.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus peuce dominating, isolated admixed Picea abies, Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica s. l., Acer heldreichii, Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus aucuparia (also subsp. fenenkiana)
Shrub layer
Juniperus communis, Sorbus aucuparia (subsp. fenenkiana only in Bulgaria), Sorbus chamaemespilus, Rosa pendulina, Daphne mezereum, Daphne blagayana, Rhododendron myrtifolium, Pinus mugo; additionally in Yugoslavia Rhododendron ferrugineum
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum subsp. microphyllum, Veronica officinalis, Galium rotundifolium, Homogyne alpina, Oxalis acetosella, Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Luzula luzulina, Luzula sylvatica, Festuca heterophylla, Hieracium murorum, Anemone nemorosa, Viola reichenbachiana, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Aremonia agrimonioides, Dryopteris filix-mas, Polystichum lonchitis, Calamintha grandiflora, Symphytum tuberosum, Fragaria vesca, Ajuga reptans; Veratrum album, Gentiana asclepiadea, Centaurea nervosa; geographic differential species: Soldanella chrysosticta, Moehringia pendula, Wulfenia carinthiaca, Potentilla aurea subsp. chrysocraspeda, Potentilla montenegrina, Geum montanum, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Melampyrum doerfleri, Melampyrum scardicum, Dianthus pancicii, Sesleria wettsteinii, Hypericum richeri subsp. grisebachii, Knautia macedonica
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Pleurozium schreberi
Diagnostically important species
Pinus peuce; Bruckenthalia spiculifolia, Digitalis viridiflora, Knautia midzorensis, Knautia macedonica, Potentilla aurea subsp. chrysocraspeda, Potentilla montenegrina, Melampyrum doerfleri, Melampyrum scardicum, Dianthus pancicii, Sesleria wettsteinii, Hypericum richeri subsp. grisebachii, Homogyne alpina, Gentiana lutea, Gentiana punctata, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Geum montanum; in Yugoslavia: Wulfenia carinthiaca; Rhododendron ferrugineum
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
The individual subranges are floristically differentiated by regional endemics: e.g. Sorbus aucuparia subsp. fenenkiana only in Bulgaria in the Pirin and Rila mountains, Wulfenia carinthiaca in the west, e.g. in the Prokletije mountains (Montenegro); correspondingly, a number of regional associations have been subcategorised.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Balkan spruce forests, common (scots) pine forests, krummholz scrub with Pinus mugo.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grasslands (B54, B55), subalpine krummholz scrubs (C37, C39), spruce forests (D38), species-poor beech forests (F89), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F143, F153, F154, F155), Quercus polycarpa-oak forests (G12), pine- and black pine forests (K6, K16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Juniperus communis subsp. alpina stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Summer pasture lands: Nardetum strictae or communities of the Oxytropidion dinaricae, Edraiantho-Seslerion and Seslerion comosae alliances; dwarf shrub communities of the Bruckenthalion spiculifoliae alliance.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Rumex alpinus ”Lägerflur”.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High mountains.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane to subalpine; (1100) 1400-2100 m
Geology (bedrock)
predominantly silicate-, partly carbonate rocks (Carboniferous, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, partly weakly podzolised mountain-brown soils, ranker, locally browned humus carbonate soils; (dystric cambisols; leptosols)
soil texture
loamy, stony to rocky
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic, locally neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
X
average annual temperature
4-8 °C
average annual precipitation
800-1200 mm (some more in the east than in the west of the Balkan peninsula)
average temperature of the warmest month
Juni 12-14 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4 to -2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
On extreme sites managed as protection forests, or otherwise as commercial forests with a special management regime for guaranteeing the natural rejuvenation and preservation of the endemic species.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
As relict forests and due to endemic species most worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, grazing; formerly also fires.
required measures for protection and restitution
All semi-natural remnants should be placed under protection.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: Rila-, Pirin-mountains; Greece: Varnous- and Voras-mountains (at the Yugoslavian border), central Rhodope mountains; Macedonia: Šar Planina; Yugoslavia: Mokra Gora (Montenegro, Kosovo).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Blečić 1957; Blečić & Tatić 1957; Bondev 1991; Dimitrov 1933; Em 1962; Fukarek 1950; Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Janković 1958; Janković 1960; Penev 1963; Penev & Georgiev 1958; Radkov 1956; Strid 1986; Velčev 1973; Velčev & Rusakova 1987
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by N. Doniţă, I. Bondev and M. Zupančič, completed by Th. Raus
