Title
West Euxinian Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis) with Trachystemon orientalis, Daphne pontica, partly with Rhododendron ponticum
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Bulgaria: eastern outposts of the Balkan mountains; Turkey: western Istranca- or Y2ld2z-mountains, forest of Belgrad
area frequency
3 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Fageta orientalis Bondev 1991; Vaccinio arctostaphyli-Fagetum orientalis Horvat, Glava… & Ellenberg 1974.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Mostly two-layered oriental beech forests; shrub layer absent or sparse, herb layer frequently species-deficient and lacking in plant numbers.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, isolated with Carpinus betulus, Tilia tomentosa, Acer platanoides, Prunus avium
Shrub layer
Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Corylus avellana, rarely Daphne pontica, Rhododendron ponticum, Staphylea pinnata
Lianas
Hedera helix, Rubus fruticosus, locally Smilax excelsa
Herb layer
Trachystemon orientalis, Sesleria argentea, Hypericum calycinum, Carex flacca, Epimedium pubigerum; Lamium galeobdolon, Polystichum aculeatum, Galium odoratum, Sanicula europaea, Carex sylvatica, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Cardamine bulbifera, Poa nemoralis, Melica uniflora, Dryopteris filix-mas, Hordelymus europaeus, Polygonatum multiflorum, Mercurialis perennis, Primula acaulis subsp. rubra, Festuca drymeja, Lathyrus laxiflorus, Carex pilosa, Senecio nemorensis, Polygonatum verticillatum, Gentiana asclepiadea, Digitalis ferruginea, Salvia glutinosa, Festuca gigantea, Circaea lutetiana, locally Luzula sylvatica, Luzula luzuloides
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Tilia tomentosa; Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Staphylea pinnata, Daphne pontica; Trachystemon orientalis
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)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F69), Oriental beech forests (F162), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G24), (mixed) Balkan oak forests (G30, G32), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G59), kermes oak forests (J34).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
No details
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Small areas with corn, wheats, sunflowers, and beans.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Small villages with fruit and vegetable gardening.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountainous country, varied surface relief cut by valleys and ravines, mainly on northern slopes and in valley incisions.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline, submontane; 300-600 m, 50-230 m
Geology (bedrock)
crystal slate, granite, grauwacke (Palaeozoic), flysch (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
pozolized grey-brown podzolic soil, parabrown soils and gray brown pozolic soil-parabrown soils, locally parabrown soils-pseudogleys, middle to deep; (chromic luvisols)
soil texture
sandy or clayey loam to loamy clay; low to middle skeletal content
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist
soil reaction
moderately to weakly acidic, pH (4,5) 5,5-6,0 (6,5)
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(VII), VI(VII)
average annual temperature
10-13 EC
average annual precipitation
600-1070 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July (18,4) 20-23 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -1 to +1 (4,7) EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Moist-temperate climate by mostly north and northeastern winds by the Black sea; frequent formation of thew and mists in summer. High air moisture in valley sites.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural stands in the Istranca mountains have been designated as nature reserves.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural forests with Euxinian species are especially worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Air pollution (SO2) from the north, timber harvesting, forest grazing, charcoal production.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of all semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: eastern outposts of the Balkan mountains; Turkey: forest of Belgrad, Y2ld2z-mountains.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bondev 1991; Hermann 1936; Hermann 1937; Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974; Irmak, Kurter & Kantarcı 1980; Kantarcı 1972a; Kantarcı 1976; Kantarcı 1978b; Kantarcı 1979b; Kantarcı 1980a; Kantarcı 1986; Kantarcı 1989a; Kantarcı 1989b; Kantarcı 1997a; Kantarcı & Tolunay 1998; Stefanov 1924
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by I. Bondev, completion based on documents by M.D. Kantarc2
