Title
Macedonian altimontane beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca) with Polygonatum vertillicatum, Adenostyles orientalis, Crepis geracioides
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Macedonia; Greece: border to Macedonia; Albania (not shown on the map)
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Fagetum altimontanum moesiacum B. Jovanoviƒ (1950, 1957, 1959) 1985, Fagetum subalpinum Grebenš…ikov 1950.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Crooked-growing, three- to four-layered altimontane beech forests with Balkan and individual dealpine species; the herb layer features mesophilous and acidophilous species; the moss layer is poorly developed.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica, Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Acer pseudoplatanus, Picea abies
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia s. l., Rubus idaeus
Herb layer
Galium odoratum, Cardamine bulbifera, Oxalis acetosella, Geranium macrorrhizum, Luzula luzuloides, Mycelis muralis, Polygonatum verticillatum, Adenostyles alliariae, Adenostyles orientalis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. sylvatica, Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca; Polygonatum verticillatum, Aconitum napellus, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. vulparia, Adenostyles glabra, Adenostyles alliariae, Adenostyles orientalis, Doronicum columnae, Hypericum maculatum subsp. immaculatum, Crepis geracioides, Lactuca aurea, Bruckenthalia spiculifolia
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Scardic-Pindic strain with Soldanella pindicola.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Abieti-Fagetum moesiacum, Piceetum subalpinum, Luzulo-Fagetum, Piceetum omorikae, Pinetum heldreichii, Pinetum peucis.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine grassland (B55), species-rich beech and fir-beech forests (F154).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Shrubby degradation stages of the beech forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Poor grassland (Oxytropidion dinaricae, Edraiantho-Seslerion, Seslerion comosae).
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
High mountainous locations
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
altimontane to subalpine; 1300-1500(2000) m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate and siliceous rock (Mesozoic, Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
carbonate-rich brown soils, acidic brown soils, rendzines, ranker; (stony chromic and calcaric cambisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
sandy-loamy, mostly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, (moist)
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(VI), X
average annual temperature
2-6 EC
average annual precipitation
800-1500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
14-16 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-5 to -3 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)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
No details
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
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)
Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Jovanović 1957; Jovanović 1959; Mišić et al. 1978
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by M. Zupan…i…, revised by U. Bohn
