Title
Illyrian thermophilous beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) with Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Cyclamen purpurascens, partly Acer obtusatum, Erica carnea, Helleborus niger
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Slovenia: Julian Alps, Pohorje; Croatia: border to Slovenia; Bosnia-Herzegovina: Vranica
area frequency
9 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Ostryo-Fagetum M. Wraber ex Trinajstiƒ 1972.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Illyrian thermophilous species-rich beech forests with many mesophilous Central European and thermophilous sub-Mediterranean species in the herb layer. In the western part there are many southeast European-Illyrian species, and more rarely also xerophilic and weakly acidophilous species. There is a moderately developed shrub layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, admixed, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus aria, Sorbus torminalis, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Acer obtusatum
Shrub layer
Euonymus verrucosa, Rhamnus cathartica, Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Ligustrum vulgare, Berberis vulgaris, Viburnum lantana, Crataegus monogyna, Lonicera xylosteum, Daphne mezereum, Rosa arvensis
Herb layer
Primula acaulis, Aposeris foetida, Aremonia agrimonoides, Knautia drymeia subsp. drymeia, Hacquetia epipactis, Salvia glutinosa, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Melittis melissophyllum, Mercurialis ovata, Carex alba, Carex flacca, Calamagrostis varia, Buphthalmum salicifolium, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Cirsium erisithales, Cyclamen purpurascens, Hepatica nobilis, Polygala chamaebuxus
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Homalothecium lutescens, Homalothecium philippeanum among others
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus; Cyclamen purpurascens, Helleborus niger subsp. niger, Mercurialis ovata, Cirsium erisithales, Epimedium alpinum
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Eastern pre-Dinaric strain with Acer obtusatum, pre-Alpine/sub-Mediterranean strain with Luzula nivea.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Fagetum submontanum Marinček & Zupančič 1977 s. l., Lamio orvalae-Fagetum Marinček 1981 s. l., Abieti-Fagetum (Horvat 1938) Tregubov 1957 em. Puncer 1978 s. l., Seslerio-Fagetum (Horvat 1950) Wraber (1957, 1960), Dakskobler 1990 s. l., Ostryo-Quercetum pubescentis (Horvat 1950) Trinajstič 1974, Querco-Luzulo-Fagetum Marinček & Zupančič 1979 s. l.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine vegetation (B44, B54), montane fir forests (D26), oak-hornbeam forests (F47, F65), species-poor beech forests (F87, F96), species-rich beech forests (F121), fir-beech forests (F142, F143), hop-mixed forests (G49).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Degraded forests and scrub with Corylus avellana Populus tremula, Carpinus betulus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Acer campestre, Tilia cordata; pioneer forests with Juniperus communis, Pinus sylvestris, Corylus avellana; Pteridium aquilinum-Rubus spp. scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous grassland (Bromo-Brachypodietum pinnati, Bromo-Danthonietum alpinae).
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
Higher mountainous country, steep and sunny southern and southwest locations
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
(submontane), montane; (500) 600-900(1000) m
Geology (bedrock)
dolomite, limestone (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rendzines with different depth of fine textured soil, limestone-brown soils; (rendzic leptosols; chromic and stony calcaric cambisols)
soil texture
loamy, stone-rich, grouany to stony
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
neutral to weakly alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2b, VI(X), X
average annual temperature
8-10 EC
average annual precipitation
1100-1200 mm (At least 60 % of the amount during the growth period)
average temperature of the warmest month
18-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-2 to 0 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
South and southwest slopes favoured by warmth.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only a few semi-natural stands are preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands with Illyrian and thermophilous species.
causes of endangerment
Low-forest use, forest grazing, transformation into grassland.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of all semi-natural stands, and promotion of natural regeneration.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Dakskobler 1996; Fabjanić, Fukarek & Stefanović 1967; Marinček 1996a; Marinček & Čarni 2002; Marinček, Puncer & Zupančič 1981; Wraber 1966a
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by M. Zupan…i…, completed by U. Bohn
