Title
East Caucasian submontane to montane hornbeam-maple-Oriental beech forests (Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Acer velutinum, Carpinus betulus) with Hedera pastuchowii in combination with hornbeam-chestnut-oak forests (Quercus iberica, Castanea sativa, Carpinus betulus)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Georgia/Azerbaijan: 2-5 km broad, ca. 200 km long strip at the southern slope-mountain foot of the eastern Greater Caucasus
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
No details
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Complex of mixed maple-hornbeam-oriental beech forests and hornbeam-chestnut oak forests in the transitional region between the montane and submontane altitudinal belts on mountain slopes, in ravines, on lower slopes and on floodplain terraces. Tall-growing tree layer (25-30 m), in valleys and ravines the mountain rivers are rich in ivy (that covers the soil and rocks and climbs into the crowns of the trees), ferns and Rubus species. The herb layer is luxuriant, and mosses are present particularly at the bases of trees and on stones.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis at slopes, with alternating admixture of Carpinus betulus, Castanea sativa, Acer platanoides, Acer cappadocicum, Fraxinus excelsior; in gorges, at feet of slopes and on river terraces with Acer velutinum, Acer campestre, Acer platanoides, Tilia begoniifolia, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus minor, Fraxinus excelsior, Alnus barbata, Pterocarya pterocarpa
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis, Rubus georgicus, Rubus kachethicus, Staphylea pinnata, in valleys Sambucus nigra
Lianas
Hedera pastuchowii, Hedera helix
Herb layer
Festuca drymeja, Carex digitata, Achillea biserrata, Primula woronowii, in valleys and gorges: Matteuccia struthiopteris, Dryopteris spp., Polystichum spp., Galium odoratum, Oplismenus undulatifolius, Galanthus lagodechianus, Pachyphragma macrophyllum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Isothecium alopecuroides, Leucodon sciuroides, Hypnum cupressiforme
Diagnostically important species
Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Acer velutinum, Carpinus betulus, Hedera pastuchowii, Staphylea pinnata, Rubus georgicus, Rubus kachethicus, Galanthus lagodechianus, Pachyphragma macrophyllum, Gymnospermium smirnowii, Aristolochia iberica, Carex grioletii, Carex schuhrii, Dictamnus caucasicus
Ecological variants
Ivy- and fern-rich forms in valleys and ravines.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the west with Colchic species (Ilex colchica, Prunus laurocerasus, Daphne pontica, Trachystemon orientalis). The Colchic-Hyrcanian species Zelkova carpinifolia occurs only in one location.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Mesophilous-xerophilic Quercus iberica forests with Carpinus orientalis, occasionally with hemixerophilic trees and shrubs (Celtis caucasica, Cydonia oblonga, Acer monspessulanum subsp. ibericum, Pyrus salicifolia, Lonicera iberica, Rhamnus pallasii, Paliurus spina-christi, Rhus coriaria, Cotinus coggygria); xero-mesophilous oak forests (Quercus pedunculiflora) with Carpinus orientalis, occasional Mespilus germanica, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus pentagyna; mesophilous Carpinus betulus forests with Fagus sylvatica subsp. orientalis, Fraxinus excelsior, often with dominant Oplismenus undulatifolius in the herb layer.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Oriental beech forests (F164), Caucasian mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F170), alluvial forests (U22).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Forest remnants modified by timber harvesting and forest grazing.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
On slopes: meadows.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Orchards and vineyards, cereal fields, tobacco, cultivation of Morus alba and Morus nigra.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Slopes, ravines, slope bases and valley-terraces at the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in the direction of the Alazanskaya valley.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane (-montane); 450-800 m
Geology (bedrock)
sandstone, slate, limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic), fluviatile sediments (Holocene) and colluvia
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
proluvial incl. stony creek-sediments, deluvial sediments; brown mountain-forest soils, here and there carbonate-rich; colluvisols, terrace and alluvial soils; (eutric cambisols; chromic luvisols; fluvisols)
soil texture
sandy to clayey loam, mostly stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(VI), VI2, X
average annual temperature
11-13 EC
average annual precipitation
950-1250 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
August 21-24 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -1 to 1 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
2/3 of yearly precipitation during the warm season. Absolute minimum of temperature -27 to -24 EC.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forests only preserved in small remnants, natural vegetation has been almost completely annihilated.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Clearing, livestock grazing, transformation for agricultural usage.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the semi-natural forest remnants.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Georgia: nature reserve Lagodechi, lower part (but endangered by tourism-activities); Azerbaijan: nature reserve Zakatala.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Doluchanov 1942; Doluchanov 1989
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by A.G. Doluchanov
