Title
Macedonian-Thracian beech and fir-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Abies borisii-regis, Abies alba) with Pulmonaria rubra
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Yugoslavia: Kosovo (border to Macedonia); Macedonia: Šar Planina, Stogovo, Jakupica, Osogovska-Planina, Pla…kovica, Koñuf, Belasica; north Greece: Voras, Vermion, Paikon, Kerkini, Falakron, Rhodopes, Pangaeon; Bulgaria: Ograñden, Belasica, Rhodopes
area frequency
23 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Abieti-Fagetum macedonicum Em (1962) 1985, Calamintho grandiflorae-Fagetum Em 1985; Galium odoratum-Fagus-community (Bergmeier & Dimopoulos 2001) (syn.: Galio odorati-Fagetum hellenicum sensu Smiris 1980, Adoxo moschatellinae-Fagetum Quézel 1967); b) Orthilio-Fagetum (Barbéro & Quézel 1976) Bergmeier 1990, Sodanello rhodopaeae-Fagetum sylvaticae Bergmeier & Dimopoulos 2001; c) Geranium macrorrhizum-Fagus-community (Schreiber 1998) Bergmeier & Dimopoulos 2001; Fageta sylvaticae and Fageta moesiacae (Bondev 1991).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered high forest (as cathedral forest in its mature stage) consisting of beech or beech with fir (A. borisii-regis, A. alba), with added Acer heldreichii and Acer pseudoplatanus; at the upper forest line it is poorer growing with a sabre-like growth of the stems due to the effects of snow; the shrub layer is weakly developed to absent, and only stronger in regeneration stages; the herb layer is weakly developed (a maximum of 20 % coverage).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica and subsp. moesiaca mostly dominating, admixed Abies borisii-regis, Abies alba, Acer heldreichii, Acer pseudoplatanus, Sorbus aucuparia, regionally Picea abies (Rhodopes), Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis (southeast Rhodopes)
Shrub layer
Young growth of trees, Rubus idaeus, Daphne mezereum, locally Juniperus communis subsp. alpina; epihytes: Viscum album subsp. abietis
Herb layer
a) Galium odoratum, Lamium galeobdolon agg., Epilobium montanum, Hordelymus europaeus, Cardamine bulbifera, Anemone nemorosa, Anemone ranunculoides, Galium rotundifolium, Milium effusum, Poa nemoralis, Dryopteris filix-mas, Viola reichenbachiana, Neottia nidus-avis, Aremonia agrimonoides, Sanicula europaea, b) Pulmonaria rubra, Symphytum ottomanum, Doronicum austriacum, Adoxa moschatellina, Soldanella rhodopaea, Senecio nemorensis, Oxalis acetosella Dryopteris dilatata, Polygonatum verticillatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Luzula sylvatica, Luzula luzuloides, Orthilia secunda, Vaccinium myrtillus, c) Geranium macrorrhizum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Polystichum lonchitis, Saxifraga rotundifolia
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum cupressiforme
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Abies borisii-regis, Acer heldreichii; a) Aremonia agrimonoides, Galium odoratum, Lamium galeobdolon, Cardamine bulbifera, b) Pulmonaria rubra, Symphytum ottomanum, Doronicum austriacum, Sanicula europaea, Luzula luzuloides, Soldanella rhodopaea; c) Geranium macrorrhizum, Festuca varia, Polystichum lonchitis
Ecological variants
On volcanic tuff at shaded slopes in the Voras (Northern Greece) Lamiastro montani-Fagetum; on limestone shaded slopes (Falakron, Pangaeon) with Geranium macrorrhizum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the Rhodopes with Picea abies, Soldanella rhodopaea; in eastern Macedonia/Thracia (southeast Rhodopes) with Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis; in Bulgaria with Isopyrum thalictroides, in forest close to the tree line with Juniperus communis subsp. alpina.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Azonal ravine and alluvial forests (with Alnus glutinosa), pine forests (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus heldreichii); transcending higher up to Juniperus communis subsp. alpina scrub and subalpine-alpine open vegetation; further down montane Quercus frainetto-dalechampii forests; bordering on Castanea sativa, Quercus dalechampii, Ostrya carpinifolia forests.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grassland (B54, B55), krummholz scrubs (C39), spruce forests (D38), pine forests (D61, D63), oak-hornbeam forests (F66), species-poor (F103) and species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F124, F143, F152, F153, F159, F160), Quercus polycarpa-mixed oak forests (G9), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), (mixed) Balkan oak forests (G26, G28), hop-downy oak forests (G54, G56), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57), black pine and Balkan pine forests (K6, K15, K16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
After forest grazing there is Juniperus communis and Berberis cretica scrub, and after forest clearing there are Populus tremula-Salix caprea pioneer forests; Pinus sylvestris forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Aggregations of Pteridium aquilinum (after forest destruction); Epilobium angustifolium forest clearing vegetation; pastures with Agrostis capillaris, Pteridium aquilinum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Potato, oat (in Bulgaria).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Rumex pseudoalpinus communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
High mountains, slopes of different exposure, plateaus, valley incisions
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane-altimontane to subalpine (800-1900 m), within the distribution of Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis montane (200) 600-1200 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rocks (Palaeozoic, Precambrian), tuffs, crystal limestone
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, mostly base-rich brown soils with mull or mull-like mor-humus, locally ranker, rendzines or brown loams; (stony dystric and eutric cambisols; stony chromic luvisols; eutric and rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
loamy, mostly grouany to stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, locally moist to periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(VI), IV(VII), IV4, VI(VII), X
average annual temperature
4-8 EC
average annual precipitation
700-950 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 12-16 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4 to -2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Winter-cold, snow-rich montane climate.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
In parts well preserved and barely altered by man. Some stands are protected in nature reserves and national parks.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Forest grazing, low forest management.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of use in representative semi-natural stands, no further building of forest paths or roads.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: Bela Voda-, Voras-, Kerkini-, Falakron- and Pangaeon-mountains, Rhodopes; Bulgaria: Nature reserve Skoschnik (Belasica), Slavjanka, Starata reka, Rhodopes.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Bergmeier & Dimopoulos 2001; Bondev 1991; Quézel 1967b; Schreiber 1998; Smiris 1980; Zoller, Geissler & Athanasiadis 1977
Compiled by
Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier; Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Bondev, M. Zupan…i…, completed by U. Bohn
