Title
Moesian, partly thermophilous beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca) with Corylus colurna, Hypericum umbellatum, partly with Acer hyrcanum subsp. intermedium
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Yugoslavia: Kosovo, Montenegro (not shown on the map), east Serbia: Stara Planina, Suva Planina; Bosnia-Herzegovina (not shown on the map); Bulgaria: Stara Planina, Vitoša-, Malaševska-mountains; Macedonia: Ograñden (border to Bulgaria)
area frequency
16 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Aceri-Ostryo-Fagetum B. Jovanoviƒ (1967) 1979, Aceri obtusati-Fagetum Fabjaniƒ, Fukarek & Stefanoviƒ 1963; Fago-Colurnion Borhidi 1963, Fagetum moesiacum Rudski 1949 p.p. (Bulgaria).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered, often poorly growing and open, species-rich beech forests with additions of Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus ornus, Corylus colurna (warm sites), Acer hyrcanum subsp. intermedium, Acer obtusatum, Acer campestre, Sorbus torminalis; Depending on the openness of the forest the shrub layer can be well to moderately developed; a well-developed herb layer which is herb-rich and features numerous thermophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Carpinus betulus, Corylus colurna, Acer hyrcanum subsp. intermedium, Acer campestre, Acer obtusatum (in the western part), Acer platanoides, Sorbus torminalis, Quercus petraea agg. (among others Quercus dalechampii), Tilia platyphyllos
Shrub layer
Syringa vulgaris, Rosa caesia, Rosa glauca, Hippocrepis emerus, Euonymus verrucosa, Euonymus europaea, Corylus avellana, Corylus colurna, Staphylea pinnata, Rhamnus alpina subsp. fallax, Daphne laureola, Cornus sanguinea, Cornus mas, Crataegus monogyna, Viburnum lantana, Lonicera xylosteum
Lianas
Hedera helix (Bulgaria)
Herb layer
thermophilous species: Cephalanthera rubra, Cephalanthera damasonium, Hypericum umbellatum, Euphorbia epithymoides, Calamintha menthifolia, Achillea crithmifolia, Veronica teucrium, Digitalis grandiflora, Primula veris subsp. columnae, Paeonia mascula, Physospermum cornubiense, Campanula persicifolia, Campanula rapunculoides, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Arabis hirsuta, Arabis turrita; Fagetalia and further species: Stellaria holostea, Convallaria majalis, Sanicula europaea, Galium odoratum, Lilium martagon, Poa nemoralis, Cruciata glabra, Hieracium murorum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Isopyrum thalictroides, Anemone ranunculoides, Hepatica nobilis, Cardamine bulbifera, Pulmonaria officinalis, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Aremonia agrimonoides, Lathyrus vernus, Festuca heterophylla, Clinopodium vulgare, Erythronium dens-canis, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Melica uniflora, Helleborus odorus, Salvia glutinosa
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum cupressiforme
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Corylus colurna, Acer hyrcanum subsp. intermedium; Cephalanthera rubra, Cephalanthera damasonium, Veronica teucrium, Digitalis grandiflora, Hypericum umbellatum, Euphorbia epithymoides, Paeonia mascula
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Abieti-Fagetum moesiacum, Quercetum frainetto-cerris, Ostryo-Quercetum pubescentis, Carpinetum orientalis serbicum, Syringo-Carpinetum orientalis, Quercetum montanum; Festucion valesiacae, Chrysopogoni-Danthonion alpinae; Bulgaria: Carpinus betulus, Quercus dalechampii forests.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
montane fir and pine forests (D38, D63), sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F66, F67), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F123, F124, F151, F153, F154), Quercus polycarpa-mixed oak forests (G9, G10), bitter oak forests (G18), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19, G22, G23), (mixed)Balkan oak forests (G28), downy oak-bitter oak forests (G31), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57, G58, G59), alluvial forests (U18).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Degradation and developmental stages of beech forests: Juglandi-Ostryo-Fagetum, Ostryo-Fago-Quercetum, Helleboro-Querco-Ostryetum, Fago-Aceri intermedii-Coryletum colurnae, Carpinus orientalis forests; pine forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Thermophilous fringes (Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei), calcareous and fir grassland.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
mountains: sunny mountain slopes in continental areas of the central Balkans that are moderately to steeply inclined (10-50°)
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane-montane; 400-900 (1600) m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate and base-rich siliceous rocks (Tertiary, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic, Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rendzines, base-rich brown soils; (stony eutric and stony humic cambisols; rendzic and eutric leptosols)
soil texture
loamy, mostly stony to rocky
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2a, X
average annual temperature
8-12 EC
average annual precipitation
600-900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
15-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-4 to -1 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Warm slopes in a moderately continental climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural remnant stands are very worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Timber harvesting, clearing, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: Stara Planina, Vitoša-, Rila-, Malaševska-mountains.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Bondev 1991; Džekov & Rizovski 1987; Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Jovanović 1955b; Jovanović 1967b; Mišić 1967; Mišić 1982; Mišić & Popović 1954; Rizovski 1983b
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by M. Zupan…iƒ and I. Bondev, completed by Th. Raus and U. Bohn
