Title
Crimean beech and hornbeam-beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Carpinus betulus) with Acer hyrcanum subsp. stevenii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Ukraine: Crimea
area frequency
3 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
No details
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Dense (canopy closure: 0.9-1.0) one- to two-layered forests (15-35 m tall, trunk diameter of 25-50 cm, age of 65 years). Trees at the upper tree line display a shrub-like growth form (boundary with the Yaila). In the tree layer Fagus sylvatica subsp. Moesiaca dominates; Carpinus betulus and Acer hyrcanum subsp stevenii are intermingled; wooded undergrowth is sparse, and Taxus baccata achieves a greater degree of coverage (to 0.4) in only a few places. The herb layer is weakly to well developed (degree of coverage up to 60 %) with numerous endemic species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca dominating, locally admixed Carpinus betulus, Acer hyrcanum subsp. stevenii (at the southern slope), Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, Ulmus glabra
Shrub layer
locally Taxus baccata, Euonymus latifolia, Euonymus verrucosa
Lianas
locally Hedera helix
Herb layer
Galium odoratum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Mercurialis perennis, Cardamine quinquefolia, Galanthus plicatus, Corydalis paczoskii, Corydalis cava subsp. marschalliana, Cyclamen coum, Arum orientale, Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum, Lathyrus rotundifolius, Vincetoxicum scandens, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Atropa bella-donna, Circaea lutetiana, Corallorrhiza trifida, Carex sylvatica, Hordelymus europaeus, Sanicula europaea, Salvia glutinosa, Symphytum tauricum, Moehringia trinervia, Monotropa hypopitys, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Poa nemoralis, Bromus benekenii, Carex digitata
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Acer hyrcanum subsp. stevenii; Corydalis paczoskii, Cyclamen coum, Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum, Lathyrus rotundifolius, Vincetoxicum scandens, Ophioglossum vulgatum, Atropa bella-donna, Circaea lutetiana, Corallorrhiza trifida, Carex sylvatica, Hordelymus europaeus, Sanicula europaea, Symphytum tauricum, Moehringia trinervia, Monotropa hypopitys
Ecological variants
Differentiation according to altitude, exposure and soil thickness of the habitat; thermophilous and geophyte-rich forms amongst others.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Mesophilous limestone rock and scree vegetation with Cerastium biebersteinii.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F167), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G61), black pine forests (K20), open juniper woodlands (K32), forest steppes (L17).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Carpinus betulus, Acer hyrcanum subsp. stevenii, Pinus pallasiana, Pinus kochiana, Quercus petraea stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous grassland (Festucetum rupicolae); fresh meadows with Alchemilla species and Trifolium repens; vegetation on manured ground (“Lägerflur”).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Uplands: northern slopes, karst depressions on mountain peak plateaus, northern slopes of the river valleys at the southern descent
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
(submontane) montane-altimontane; 600-1300 m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate rocks (Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich brown soils, limestone-brown soils, partly humus carbonate soil; (eutric and calcaric cambisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
loamy, often stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)3, X
average annual temperature
5,5-6,7 EC
average annual precipitation
500-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 15-17 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -4,2 to -2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Climate gradient from the west to the east: In the west winter precipitations prevail, in the east summer precipitations. Frost period for about. 66 days, absolute minimum -26,5 EC; yearly fluctuation of temperature 20-21 EC.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Individual, 200-250 year-old stands with typical structural characteristics remain preserved.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, grazing, transformation into forests.
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Ukraine: Crimea, upper belt, above all at the north slope of the main mountain range (Jaila: Krymskiy nature Zapovednik), also Kubla…, Agarmyš.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Jaila: mountain meadows, mountain steppes.
Most important references (author, year)
Biodiversity Support Program 1999; Diduch 1985; Poplavskaja 1925a; Poplavskaja 1925b; Poplavskaja 1948; Posochov 1963; Vul’f 1919; Walter 1974
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by J.P. Diduch and J.R. Šeljag-Sosonko, completed by U. Bohn
