Title
Caucasian Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis) with Carpinus betulus, partly with Picea orientalis, without evergreen understorey, partly alternating with oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus iberica)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: northern escarpment of the Greater Caucasus; Georgia, Azerbaijan: southern escarpment of the Greater Caucasus, north and northeastern slope of the Lesser Caucasus; Armenia
area frequency
38 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Rhododendro-Fagion orientalis Horvat, Glava… & Ellenberg 1974, with suballiances: Orvo-Fagenion orientalis Passarge 1981, Dentario-Fagenion orientalis Passarge 1981, Petasito-Fagenion orientalis Passarge 1981, Vaccinio-Fagion orientalis (Zohary 1973) Passarge 1981; Fageta festucosa, Fageta hemixerophylla, Fageta nuda, Fageta asperulosa caucasica, Fageta pachyphragmosa, Fageta rubosa, Fageta filicosa, Fageta luzulosa all Doluchanov 1989.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Oriental beech stands, often with dominant Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis or mesophilous with additions of deciduous tree species (Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia, Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer cappadocicum, Acer trautvetteri, Ulmus glabra, Castanea sativa, Corylus colurna). The species assemblages change depending on region and altitude. The tree layer varies greatly in age for the most part. 180-250 year-old stands are 20-40 m high (depending on altitude and site conditions). The maximum age of the individual trees is 350-400 years, the maximum height 50-52 m. A shrub undergrowth is usually absent, but is formed in places by Corylus avellana and Sambucus nigra, more rarely by Staphylea pinnata, and in some climatically moister areas also by Rhododendron luteum and Vaccinium arctostaphylos. Rubus species are represented everywhere, and not infrequently achieve dominance. The herb layer is relatively species deficient, and is completely absent in some forms. Central European species are relatively common, and spring geophytes are also present.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, with alternating admixture of Carpinus betulus, Tilia begoniifolia, Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer cappadocicum, Acer trautvetteri (in high altitudes), Ulmus glabra, Quercus iberica, Castanea sativa (in low altitudes on siliceous rock), Fraxinus excelsior, Corylus colurna, Taxus baccata
Shrub layer
Corylus colurna, Corylus avellana, Sambucus nigra, Staphylea pinnata, Rubus hirtus, Rubus caucasicus, locally Rhododendron luteum, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Philadelphus caucasicus
Herb layer
Festuca drymeja, Galium odoratum, Dryopteris filix-mas, Athyrium filix-femina, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Euphorbia macroceras, Circaea lutetiana, Impatiens noli-tangere, Polygonatum orientale, Cardamine quinquefolia, Cardamine bulbifera, Paris incompleta, Vicia crocea, Lathyrus laxiflorus, Primula woronowii, Cephalanthera longifolia, Poa nemoralis, Melica uniflora, Luzula forsteri; spring geophytes: Anemone caucasica, Scilla siberica, Galanthus caucasicus, Corydalis caucasica, Corydalis cava subsp. marschalliana, Neottia nidus-avis; in thermophilous formations Cephalanthera rubra, Cephalanthera damasonium; moist formations with Matteuccia struthiopteris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Carpinus betulus, Quercus iberica, Philadelphus caucasicus, Rubus hirtus- and Rubus caucasicus-group; Euphorbia macroceras, Cardamine quinquefolia, Primula woronowii, Lathyrus laxiflorus, Cephalanthera-species, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Polygonatum orientale, Scilla sibirica, Galanthus caucasicus
Ecological variants
Depending on altitude, exposure, soil and air moisture, soil trophy and rock substratum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
1) Western northern Caucasus: beech forests in complex with spruce, fir and pine forests. Typical species: Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Trachystemon orientalis, Symphytum ibericum, Ranunculus cappadocicus, Bergenia crassifolia.2) In the central and eastern northern Caucasus both coniferous forests and Colchic floral elements are missing.3) Northwest of the Lesser Caucasus: beech and coniferous forests grow next to each other. Individual Colchic species are present (Rhododendron ponticum, Prunus laurocerasus, Rhamnus imeretina, Daphne pontica, Paeonia mascula, Helleborus caucasicus, Ranunculus cappadocicus, Saxifraga repanda). Regional differential species: Scilla winogradowi, Corydalis alexeenkoana.4) Southern slope of the Greater Caucasus (East Georgia, Azerbaijan): Coniferous forests are absent, individual species of Colchic floral elements are present (Rhododendron luteum, Vaccinium arctostaphylos, Prunus laurocerasus very rare, Staphylea pinnata, Pachyphragma macrophyllum) as well as individual Hyrcanian species (Acer velutinum, Hedera pastuchowii); regional differential species: Galanthus lagodechianus, Paeonia mlokosewitschii; on rocks Campanula kolenatiana, Gentiana lagodechiana, Primula juliae, Scabiosa owerinii, Scrophularia lateriflora.5) Northeastern slopes of the Lesser Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan): beech forests in contact with Quercus macranthera forests.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
spruce, pine-spruce, fir-spruce forests, hornbeam-oak and oak forests (F170), subalpine beech-maple and maple open forests, rock and gravel vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
subalpine krummholz and open woodlands (C41, C43, C44, C46), fir and mixed fir forests (D32, D33), pine forests (D64), Oriental beech forests (F163, F165), Caucasian mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F167, F168, F170, F172), mountain steppes (M4), montane Stipa steppes (M11), Thorn-cushion vegetation (N5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous plantations, oak-hornbeam and mixed chestnut forests, park landscape.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, meadows: tall-forb vegetation.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields, potato fields; orchards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Slopes, valley incisions, ravines in the high-mountains. Habitats with different rocks and a broad climatic amplitude
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane to subalpine; (600) 1000-1800 (2100) m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, chalky clay, sandstone (Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary); eruptive rocks (andesit, basalt) (Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
typical brown soils, parabrown soils, gray-brown podzolic soil, rendzines, ranker, more or less stone-rich; (eutric cambisols; chromic luvisols; leptosols)
soil texture
sandy to clayey loam, permeable
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, locally moist
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic, eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(IV), VI2, VII(IV), X
average annual temperature
lower limit: 10-11 EC, at optimal hight 7-8 EC, -2 to -3 EC at the upper limit)
average annual precipitation
650-1500 mm (maximum in summer)
average temperature of the warmest month
lower limit: 20-21 EC, optimum: 17-19 EC, upper limit:12-13 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
lower limit: -2 to -1 EC, optimum: -4 to -3 EC, upper limit: -8 to -7 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Yearly sums of temperature >10 EC fluctuate between 2800-3000 EC at lower altitudes, between 1800-2000 EC in optimal hights, 700-1000 EC at the upper limit.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forests at lower altitudes are more heavily damaged by usage. At the beginning of the 20th century many natural stands were still preserved. Today many remnants are protected in nature reserves. However, they do not reflect the entire coenotic diversity of this mapping unit.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forest grazing, timber harvesting, wars (e.g. Karabach mountain).
required measures for protection and restitution
Prevention of forest grazing and timber overexploitation. Resolute handling as protected forests and permanent forest; additional designation of protected areas.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Nature reserves: Russia: Kavkazskij; Georgia: Borjomi, Lagodechi, Akhmeta, (Saguramo); Armenia: Dilijan; Azerbaijan: Zakatala, Ismayili, Gey-Gel. Also in gorges difficult to access outside of reserves.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Doluchanov 1989; Golgofskaja 1967a; Golgofskaja 1967b; Lvov 1970a; Nachucrišvili 1999; Orlov 1953; Passarge 1981; Prilipko 1954; Tumadžanov 1940; Walter 1974
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by A.G. Doluchanov and Ju.R. Šeljag-Sosonko
