Title
East Euxinian-Caucasian Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis), partly with Picea orientalis, mostly with evergreen understorey (Prunus laurocerasus, Rhododendron ponticum, Daphne pontica) with Hedera colchica, Ilex colchica, Ruscus colchicus
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: western part of the Greater Caucasus; Georgia: Colchis (west of the watershed between the Caspian and the Black Sea)
area frequency
3 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Order: Rhododendro-Fagetalia orientalis (Soó 1964) Passarge 1981, alliance: Rhododendro pontici-Fagion orientalis Horvat, Glava… & Ellenberg 1974; Fageta fruticosa colchica Doluchanov 1989, Fageta rhododendrosa, Fageta laurocerasosa, Fageta ilicitosa, Fageta magnovacciniosa, Fageta azaleosa, Fageta riburnosa, Fageta filicosa all Povarnitsin 1936.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered oriental beech forests with a varyingly dense semiprostrate evergreen undergrowth with a variable species combination, often with summer-green shrubs, consisting primarily of Colchic species. The herb layer is absent under the dense, normally species-rich and locally fern-rich shrub layer. At the upper distribution limit in the form of krummholz forests and with conifers (Abies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
dominating Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, with alternating admixture of Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Acer pseudoplatanus (at lower sites), Abies nordmanniana, Picea orientalis (at upper sites), further Tilia begoniifolia, Acer platanoides, Acer cappadocicum, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra, rarely Taxus baccata
Shrub layer
alternating, in different combination: Rhododendron ponticum, Rhododendron ungernii, Rhododendron luteum, Prunus laurocerasus, Ilex colchica, Ruscus colchicus, Daphne pontica, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Viburnum orientale, Rubus hirtus, Staphylea colchica
Lianas
Hedera colchica (at lower sites, especially in gorges)
Herb layer
(with open, less dense shrub underwood) Trachystemon orientalis, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Paris incompleta, Aristolochia iberica, Asarum intermedium, Primula abchasica, Primula megaseifolia, Chaerophyllum angelicifolium, Anthriscus schmalhausenii, Symphytum ibericum, Brunnera macrophylla, Dryopteris filix-mas; at moister sites: Matteuccia struthiopteris, Athyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris affinis subsp. borreri; in shady gorges: Dryopteris austriaca, Dryopteris dilatata, Pteris cretica, Polystichum woronowii, Polystichum brownii, Polystichum setiferum, Asplenium scolopendrium; at high altitudes: Athyrium distentifolium, Dryopteris oreades, Oreopteris limbosperma; Festuca drymeja, Galium odoratum, Cardamine quinquefolia, Circaea lutetiana, Euphorbia macroceras, Impatiens noli-tangere
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Rhododendron ponticum, Rhododendron ungernii, Prunus laurocerasus, Ilex colchica, Ruscus colchicus, Daphne pontica, Staphylea colchica, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Viburnum orientale; Trachystemon orientalis, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Symphytum ibericum, Paeonia wittmanniana, Corydalis caucasica, Aristolochia iberica
Ecological variants
Different forms depending on altitude, exposure, soil and air moisture, and rock substratum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Abkhazia with Primula abchasica, southwest Colchic form in Adjaria with Rhododendron ungernii, Galanthus krasnovii, Primula megaseifolia. In limestone mountains of the northern Colchis (Bsibics mountains, the Ochatschkue-Kvira-Megaria-Asshi-Chwamli cordillera) Prunus laurocerasus, Ilex colchica, Taxus baccata, Buxus colchica, Rhamnus imeretina are more frequently represented, while Rhododendron ponticum and Castanea sativa are for the most part absent. Cyclamen purpurascens subsp. ponticum and many endemics on limestone soils. Altimontane form: more frequent occurrence of Calamagrostis arundinacea, Oreopteris limbosperma, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Luzula sylvatica, Inula magnifica, Ribes biebersteinii.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
At higher altitudes beech-fir, fir-spruce forests; rock communities with many stenoendemics (Aquilegia colchica, Satureja bzybica, Gentiana paradoxa, Cerastium ponticum, Aster abchasicus). At lower altitudes chestnut and chestnut-hornbeam forests with Castanea sativa, Carpinus betulus. In ravines mixed forests (Fraxinus exelsior, Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia, Ulmus glabra, Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Acer cappadocicum, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Alnus barbata). Mixed forests on carbonate rocks with a high proportion of Buxus colchica and Taxus baccata. Avalanche track vegetation (Betula litwinowii, Sorbus aucuparia, Corylus avellana, Corylus colchica, Rhamnus imeretina, Prunus laurocerasus).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
krummholz and open woodlands (C41, C42, C45), fir- and mixed fir forests (D32, D33), Oriental beech forests (F164), Caucasian mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F167, F169, F170), hygrophilous thermophytic mixed broad-leaved forests (H1).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Hornbeam-oak and hornbeam-chestnut forests, fir and spruce-fir stands; evergreen scrub (Rhododendron ponticum, Prunus laurocerasus) on clear cuttings.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows and pastures.
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 to high-mountain regions: slopes, ravines
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane to subalpine, main distribution montane-altimontane; (500) 600-1900 (2100) m
Geology (bedrock)
basic eruptive rocks: basalt, andesit (Jurassic, Tertiary); granite, granodiorite (Palaeozoic); limestone, clay slate, sandstone (Cretaceous, Jurassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
mountain brown soils to gray-brown podzolic soil, ranker, rendzines; (eutric, humic and chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols; leptosols)
soil texture
stony loam, calcareous clay
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, locally moist (stagnating moisture)
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V, X
average annual temperature
12-14 EC
average annual precipitation
1200-3500(4000) mm, relatively regularly dispersed over the whole year
average temperature of the warmest month
20-23 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
4-6 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Yearly amplitudes of the average monthly temperature 16-19 EC; humid, in comparison to F164 much richer in snow, more mild in winter.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural forests preserved in some nature reserves and in poorly accessible ravines; natural and semi-natural remnants highly worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Numerous endemic species of the Colchis.
causes of endangerment
Timber harvesting, forest clearing, forest grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the semi-natural remnants.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Georgia: nature reserve Pschu-Gumista, Rica (Abkhazskaya), Kintriši (Adscharien), in the gorge "Boniševskoe uš…elie" (left Kura affluent); Russia: Greater Caucasian biosphere-reserve.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Doluchanov 1969; Doluchanov 1989; Kolakovskij 1961; Machatadze & Popov 1965; Nachucrišvili 1999; Orlov 1953; Sacharov 1939; Walter 1974
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by A.G. Doluchnov and Ju.R. Šeljag-Sosonko as well as G. Nachucrišvili
