Title
Crimean-north Caucasian mixed sessile oak forests (Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus, Carpinus orientalis), in Caucasus with Acer cappadocicum, Sorbus torminalis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: western outposts and northern escarpment of the Greater Caucasus; Ukraine: northwestern slopes of the Crimea mountains
area frequency
18 polygons .
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.)
Three-layered mixed sessile oak forests with dominant Quercus petraea and different admixture tree species depending on area and habitat conditions. Tree layer up to 25 m high with a canopy closure of 80-100 %. Companion tree species include Pinus kochiana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Carpinus betulus, only in the Caucasus Quercus hartwissiana, Acer cappadocicum, Sorbus torminalis. Shrub layer (20-60 % degree of coverage) with Cornus mas, Corylus avellana, Cotinus coggygria amongst other woody plants. The herb layer is differently developed depending on altitude, exposure and rock, with mesophilous and thermophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, with different admixture of Pinus kochiana, Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, in the Caucasus: Quercus hartwissiana, Acer cappadocicum, Sorbus torminalis
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea subsp. australis, Cotinus coggygria, Ligustrum vulgare, in the Caucasus locally Rhododendron luteum
Herb layer
Mercurialis perennis, Poa sterilis, Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Luzula forsteri, Convallaria majalis, Cardamine quinquefolia, Carex flacca subsp. serrulata, Carex tomentosa, Festuca drymeja, Dactylis glomerata, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Rubus caesius, Calamagrostis epigejos, Pteridium aquilinum, Vaccinium arctostaphylos; on the Crimean peninsula additionally: Physospermum cornubiense, Lathyrus aureus, Lathyrus rotundifolius, Ranunculus constantinopolitanus, Veronica umbrosa
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus, Carpinus orientalis, Acer cappadocicum; Cotinus coggygria, Cornus mas; Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Luzula forsteri, Festuca drymeja, Mercurialis perennis
Ecological variants
Depending on altitude, exposure and bedrock, as well as mesophilous, thermophilous and xerophilic forms of differing composition.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the Caucasus with Quercus hartwissiana, Quercus robur, Acer cappadocicum, Rhodendron luteum, Vaccinium arctostaphylos; on the Crimean peninsula with Tamus communis, Physospermum cornubiense, Lathyrus aureus etc. (see above), at southern slopes of the Yaila mountains there is Pinus nigra subsp. Pallasiana locally.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
On fresh sites ash (Fraxinus excelsior) and hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus) that often form mixed forests together with oak. On warm-dry sites there are oriental hornbeam forests (Carpinus orientalis); on southern slopes pine-oak forests (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) are present in places.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
krummholz and open woodlands (C43), pine forests (D64), species-rich beech forests (F157), Oriental beech forests (F163, F164), mixed hornbeam-oak forests (F168), downy oak forests (G61, G62), black pine and open juniper woodlands (K20, K32), forest steppes (L7, L17), thorn-cushion vegetation (N5).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous plantations, scrub with Cornus mas, Corylus avellana, Crataegus species.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, semi dry grassland.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountain slopes (up to 30° inclination) of different exposures in the uplands and high-mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane to montane; 300-800 m, here and there up to 1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate rocks, flysch, clay slate (Tertiary, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
well developed, base-rich brown soils, grey podzolized forest soils, humus-carbonate soils (rendzines), partly also stony soils originating of carbonate rocks; (chromic and eutric cambisols; chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
stony, loamy, clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)3, X
average annual temperature
7-11 EC
average annual precipitation
600-850 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 16-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -3 to -2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Precipitation also in summer.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Forest stands at lower altitudes have largely been damaged by man; in poorly accessible areas 150-200 year-old stands have survived in places with a typical structure and species assemblage.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Clearing, timber harvesting, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Older semi-natural stands are especially worthy of protection.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Ukraine (Crimea): Kuybyschewskij, Bachtschisarajskij, Aluschtinskij, StaroCrimeaskij "leschozzagi", Crimean hunting reserve.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Bicin, Il’jin & Mal’cev 1966; Grudzinskaja 1953; Grudzinskaja & Medvedev 1949; Kočkin 1967; Koval’ et al. 1980; Walter 1974
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Ja.P. Diduch and Ju.R. Šeljag-Sosonko, completed
