Title
Transylvanian sessile oak-hornbeam forests (Carpinus betulus, Quercus petraea) with Lathyrus hallersteinii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Romania: peripheral hilly country of the Transylvanian basin
area frequency
13 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Lathyro hallersteinii-Carpinetum Coldea 1975 (syn.: Querco petraeae-Carpinetum auct. rom., Carpineto-Quercetum petraeae Borza 1941), Stellario-Carpinetum Boscaiu et al. 1966, Carici montanae-Quercetum petraeae Gergely 1962.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered sessile oak-hornbeam forests with Quercus petraea in the upper tree layer and Carpinus betulus in the lower. Weakly developed shrub layer, herb layer with mesophilous and thermophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Prunus avium, Carpinus betulus, Acer campestre, Pyrus pyraster, Sorbus torminalis, locally Quercus dalechampii
Shrub layer
Crataegus monogyna, Corylus avellana, Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum lantana, Ligustrum vulgare, Euonymus verrucosa
Herb layer
mesophile species: Stellaria holostea, Carex pilosa, Lamium galeobdolon, Anemone nemorosa, Symphytum tuberosum, Asarum europaeum, Lathyrus vernus, thermophilous species: Tanacetum corymbosum, Carex montana, Campanula persicifolia, Melittis melissophyllum, lathyrus niger, Genista tinctoria, Trifolium medium, Astragalus glycyphyllos, Cruciata glabra
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
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Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Carpinus betulus, Lathyrus hallersteinii, Stellaria holostea, Galium schultesii
Ecological variants
Typical and Quercus dalechampii subassociation.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Regional association without any further regional classification.
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)
acidophilous oak forests (F22), mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F48), species-rich beech forests (F125, F126, F135), mixed Tatar maple-oak forests (G3), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G16), mixed Quercus polycarpa oak forests (G10), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G20, G21), Balkan oak forests (G22), alluvial forests (U16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Middle and low forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Agrostieto-Festucetum valesiacae Ardelean 1983, Festuco-Agrostetum Horvat 1951, Anthoxantho-Agrostetum capillaris Sillinger 1933.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 400-600 m
Geology (bedrock)
Tertiary sediments (clay, chalky clay, conglomerates, limestone)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich parabrown soils and brown soils; (eutric cambisols; gleyic and orthic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy to clayey
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2a
average annual temperature
8-9 EC
average annual precipitation
600-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to -2 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
No details
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
No details
required measures for protection and restitution
No details
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Coldea 1975; Doniţă, Ivan, Coldea, Sanda, Popescu, Chifu, Paucă-Comănescu, Mitetelu & Boşcaiu 1992; Ivan, Doniţă, Coldea, Sanda, Popescu, Chifu, Boşcaiu, Mititelu & Paucă-Comănescu 1993
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová nach D. Ivan et al.1993, completed by DoniÛ| et al. 1992
