Title
Illyrian-Dinaric altimontane beech forests (Fagus sylvatica), partly with Acer pseudoplatanus, with Saxifraga rotundifolia, Ranunculus platanifolius, Polystichum lonchitis, partly Adenostyles alliariae
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Slovenia; Croatia: Velika Kapela, Velebit, Dinara Planina, Biokovo; Bosnia- Herzegovina: western part of the country; Yugoslavia: Montenegro
area frequency
17 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Ranunculo platanifolii-Fagetum Marin…ek et al. 1993, Anemono-Fagetum Tregubov 1962, Polysticho lonchitis-Fagetum (Horvat 1938) Marin…ek in Poldini & Nardini 1993.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mostly four-layered pure beech forests, and more rarely beech-sycamore mixed forests, being of a crooked (crippled) growth form in the subalpine belt, while in the altimontane belt the forests grow healthily. Well-developed shrub and herb layers with beech and spruce forest species, subalpine and dealpine elements as well as southeast European-illyrian species. The moss layer features basiphilous and acidophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica dominating, locally admixed Acer pseudoplatanus, in the lower altitude line with Picea abies, Abies alba
Shrub layer
Daphne mezereum, Lonicera alpigena, Ribes alpinum, Rhododendron hirsutum, Salix glabra, Salix appendiculata, Rosa pendulina
Herb layer
Cardamine kitaibelii, Cardamine trifolia, Lamium orvala, Aremonia agrimonoides, Vicia oroboides, Isopyrum thalictroides, Omphalodes verna, Festuca altissima, Corydalis cava, Geum rivale, Senecio cacaliaster, Scrophularia vernalis, Polystichum lonchitis, Calamintha grandiflora, Rubus saxatilis, Arthyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris filix-mas, Mercurialis perennis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Ctenidium molluscum, Plagiochila asplenioides
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatenus; Polygonatum verticillatum, Adenostyles glabra, Adenostyles alliariae, Circaea alpina, Ranunculus platanifolius, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Luzula sylvatica subsp. sylvatica, Anemone trifolia, Stellaria nemorum subsp. montana, Aconitum variegatum subsp. paniculatum, Homogyne sylvestris, Polystichum lonchitis
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
pre-Dinaric/ Dinaric strain with Calamintha grandiflora, Allium victorialis; north Julyan/Karavankan strain with Helleborus niger subsp. niger; west Julyan-Carnic strain with Luzula nivea.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Abieti-Fagetum, Ostryo-Fagetum, Adenostylo glabrae-Piceetum, Rhodothamno-Pinetum mugi, Pinetum mugi, Pinetum heldreichii, Piceetum montanum, Aceri obtusati-Fagetum, Alnetum viridis.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grassland (B53), Alpine rose-dwarf pine shrub (C20), dwarf pine scrubs (C37), spruce forests (D38), species-poor (F88) and species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F142, F143, F144, F150), hop-downy oak forests (G51, G54), Balkan pine forests (K6).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Rhododendron hirsutum-Salix glabra scrub, Rubus idaeus scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Tall-forb vegetation (Telekietum speciosae), pastures (Bromo-Plantaginetum mediae), shortgrass meadows (Arnico-Nardetum, Edraiantho-Caricetum firmae, Festuco calvae-Avenastretum parlatorei, Caricetum ferrugineae).
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
Slopes in the high mountains, karst plateaus
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane- subalpine; 900-1600 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, dolomite (Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rendzines, stone-riche limestone-brown soils, base-rich brown soils, colluvia; (rendzic leptosols; chromic and calcaric cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
fresh
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(V), VI(X)
average annual temperature
4-6E C
average annual precipitation
1500-2000(3000) mm
average temperature of the warmest month
16-18 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to -1 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forests often degraded by low forest management and grazing.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural stands.
causes of endangerment
Clearing, grazing, low forest management.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of all semi-natural stands and regeneration of degraded forests as much for their erosion and avalanche protective functions as for any other reason.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Marinček 1983; Marinček 1987; Marinček 1996b; Marinček, Poldini & Zupančič 1989; Zukrigl 1989
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by M. Zupan…i…, completed by U. Bohn
