Title
Baltic-south Sarmatian lime-pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata), partly with Picea abies
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Esthonia; Latvia; Lithuania; east Belarus; Russia: northern part of the central Russian and Volgian hilly country
area frequency
36 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Tilieto-Quercetum caricosum pilosae, T.-Q. oxalidosum, T.-Q. stellariosum, T.-Q. galeobdolosum and T.-Q. aegopodiosum (after Suka…ev); T.-Q. galiosum odoratum, T.-Q. mercurialeosum, Caricoso-Tilietum, Aegopodio-Tilietum, Mercurialioso-Tilietum, Galeobdoloso-Tilietum, Fraxineto-Tilietum galeobdolosum, Fraxineto-Tilietum aegopodiosum, F.-T. galietosum odoratae; Esthonia: Aegopodio-Fraxinetum, Lunario-Fraxinetum, Aegopodio-Quercetum, Hepatico-Quercetum, Hepatico-Fraxinetum, Aegopodio-Ulmetum.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Shady, almost 30 m tall deciduous forests with a two-layered tree layer (80-95 % degree of coverage). Upper tree layer with dominant Tilia cordata and Quercus robur, admixtures of Acer platanoides and Ulmus glabra (the two latter species are sometimes forced back by snow in cold winters) as well as Picea abies. Fraxinus excelsior often dominates on fresh to moist sites. Shrub layer relatively well developed (20-40 % degree of coverage). Demanding nemoral species dominate in the herb layer. The moss layer is sparse.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Tilia cordata, Quercus robur, with admixture of Acer platanoides, Ulmus glabra, (Picea abies), locally Fraxinus excelsior; pioneer tree species: Populus tremula, Sorbus aucuparia, Betula pendula
Shrub layer
Corylus avellana, Sorbus aucuparia, Lonicera xylosteum, Euonymus verrucosa, Viburnum opulus, Rhamnus catharticus, Daphne mezereum, Rubus idaeus; on moist sites Frangula alnus, Prunus padus
Herb layer
Galium odoratum, Pulmonaria obscura, Stellaria holostea, Ranunculus cassubicus, Polygonatum multiflorum, Viola mirabilis, Carex sylvatica, Bromus benekenii, Milium effusum, Convallaria majalis, Dryopteris filix-mas, Sanicula europaea, Lathyrus vernus, Mercurialis perennis, Asarum europaeum, Actaea spicata, Paris quadrifolia, Lamium galeobdolon, Aegopodium podagraria, Glechoma hederacea, Campanula latifolia, Campanula trachelium, Carex digitata, Carex pilosa, Melica nutans, Rubus saxatilis; spring geophytes: Anemone nemorosa, Anemone ranunculoides, Corydalis solida, Gagea lutea, Ranunculus ficaria, Cardamine bulbifera
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Brachythecium velutinum, Brachythecium salebrosum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Atrichum undulatum, Eurhynchium hians, Homalia trichomanoides, Eurhynchium angustirete, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Mnium stellare, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, Plagiomnium rostratum, Plagiomnium affine, among others
Diagnostically important species
Tilia cordata, Quercus robur, Ulmus glabra, Fraxinus excelsior, (Picea abies), Euonymus verrucosa; Ranunculus cassubicus, Lathyrus vernus, Viola mirabilis, Asarum europaeum, Lamium galeobdolon, Galium odoratum, Pulmonaria obscura, Dryopteris filix-mas, Aegopodium podagraria
Ecological variants
On fresh and more base-deficient soils: Oxalis acetosella, Maianthemum bifolium, Trientalis europaea, Orthilia secunda, Pyrola rotundifolia; moist sites: Equisetum sylvaticum, Athyrium filix-femina, Stellaria nemorum; rich and wet soils: Stachys sylvatica, Scrophularia nodosa, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Urtica dioica, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, locally Allium ursinum; shaded special sites: Lunaria rediviva, Lathraea squamaria.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the northwest form with Hepatica nobilis.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
In the northern part of the range a complex with spruce, deciduous tree-spruce and pine forests, while in the south there are scattered small-leaved lime-pedunculate oak forests with Fraxinus excelsior, Acer campestre; small-sized occurrences of East European meadow steppes (Koeleria glauca, Phleum phleoides, Adonis vernalis, Filipendula vulgaris, Veronica spicata, Stipa capillata, Scutellaria chitrovoi, Potentilla pimpinelloides, Dendranthema zawadskii) on limestone in the region of the upper Don; carrs with Alnus glutinosa, Betula pubescens.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce and fir-spruce forests (D18, D19, D20, D21), pine forests (D47, D49, D55, D56, D57), soil-acidic oak forests (F12, F13), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F71, F72), forest steppes (L4, L5), raised bogs (S2, S9), alder carrs (T1), aluvial and moist forests (U10, U11, U12).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce and pine forestry; birch and aspen pioneer forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows with Festuca rubra, Agrostis capillaris and Anthoxanthum odoratum.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cereal fields, orchards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mildly undulating hilly country (moraines, oser) and valley carved plateaus
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 150-310 m
Geology (bedrock)
glacial, fluviglacial and fluviatile sediments (chalky clay, sand, loam) (Holocene and Pleistocene above Tertiary, Cretaceous, Carboniferous, Devonian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
moderately to strongly humic, base-rich soils: rendzines, parabrown soils, locally gleys; (rendzic leptosols; orthic luvisols; mollic gleysols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry (locally moist)
soil reaction
neutral to weakly acidic (pH 5,4-6,3)
soil fertility
eutrophic to mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII1, VIII(VI)2
average annual temperature
3-6,7 EC
average annual precipitation
500-670 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-20 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -12 to -7 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Of approx. 20 % surviving forest approx. 10 % are climax forests. These have an important hydrological and soil protecting function.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Species worthy of protection: Lilium martagon, Cypripedium macranthon, Cypripedium calceolus, Epipogium aphyllum, Lunaria rediviva, Cephalanthera longifolia, Cephalanthera rubra.
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, agricultural use, conversion into forestry.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Russia: Zapovednik: Brânskij Les, Kaluñskie Zaseki, Mordovskij, Prisurskij, Volñsko-Kamskij, Prioksko-Terrasnyj; biosphere reserve: Okskij; national park: Orlovskoe Poles’e, Ugra.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Kurnaev 1980; Smirnova (Ed.) 1994; Sočava & Semenova-Tjan-Šanskaja 1956
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by Ju.R. Šeljag-Sosonko; completions by J. Sultson, G.N. Ogureeva
