Title
Ural maple-lime-pedunculate oak forests (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides) with Cicerbita uralensis, Knautia tatarica
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Russia: Western slope of the south Ural, southwestern part of the Ziliarskoe plateau
area frequency
18 polygons .
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Querceta sensu Gor…akovskij 1972. Quercetum aegopodiosum, Quercetum calamagrostiosum (arundinacea), Quercetum herbosum, Quercetum brachypodiosum (pinnatum), Quercetum caricosum (macroura), Quercetum fruticosum, Aceretum aegopodiosum, Aceretum asaretosum, Aceretum with Dryopteris filix-mas, Tilietum aegopodiosum, Tilietum galiumosum (odorata), Tilietum herbosum (altherbosa).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
In the tree layer (up to 22 m tall) Quercus robur sets the tone, while Tilia cordata and Acer platanoides are regular admixtures (up to 30-40 % of the biomass), and Ulmus glabra occurs only occasionally. The degree of coverage of the tree layer is 70-90 %. The shrub layer is sparse or absent. The herb layer features European and Uralic-Siberian species, particularly tall forbs.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus robur, admixed Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides, isolated Ulmus glabra, Ulmus laevis; pioneer tree species: Populus tremula, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Prunus padus, Rubus idaeus, locally Caragana frutex (on limestone), Rosa majalis, Euonymus verrucosa
Lianas
locally Humulus lupulus
Herb layer
Cicerbita uralensis, Knautia tatarica, Lathyrus litvinovii, Bupleurum longifolium subsp. aureum, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum, Crepis sibirica, Aegopodium podagraria, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Dryopteris filix-mas, Carex macroura, Galium odoratum, Viola mirabilis, Actaea spicata, Asarum europaeum, Stellaria bungeana, Campanula trachelium; spring geophytes:: Anemone altaica, Anemone ranunculoides, Corydalis solida, Gagea lutea, Ranunculus ficaria
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
on decayed wood and tree feet: Brachythecium salebrosum, Plagiomnium cuspidatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Neckera pennata, Pylaisia polyantha, Hylocomium pyrenaicum, Pseudoleskeella nervosa, Leucodon sciuroides, Paraleucobryum longifolium
Diagnostically important species
Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, Acer platanoides; Knautia tatarica, Lathyrus litvinovii, Carex macroura; Uralic-Siberian tall perennials : Cicerbita uralensis, Bupleurum longifolium subsp. aureum, Crepis sibirica, Pleurospermum uralense, Heracleum sphondylium subsp. sibiricum
Ecological variants
Moist forms with Ulmus glabra, Alnus glutinosa, Prunus padus, Geum rivale, Equisetum pratense,; reed-grass/tall-forb forms with Calamagrostis arundinacea, Bupleurum longifolium subsp. aureum, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum, Crepis sibirica; oak forests on stony soils on steep, strongly eroded slopes with dominant Carex macroura or Brachypodium pinnatum alternating with Rubus saxatilis, Tanacetum corymbosum.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Montane oak shrub forest at 600-800 m altitude with Persicaria alpina, Veratrum lobelianum, Bupleurum longifolium subsp.aureum, Seseli libanotis, Pteridium aquilinum, Dactylus glomerata, Calamagrostis arundinacea.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
From place to place meadow steppes with Stipa pennata, Phleum phleoides and steppe shrubs (Prunus tenella, Cotoneaster melanocarpus, Prunus fruticosa, Chamaecytisus ruthenicus, Caragana frutex).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce-fir forests (D22, D23), pine forests (D59, D60), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F73), forest steppes (L6), steppes (M3), alluvial forests (U12).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Secondary small-leaved lime stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Tall-forb vegetation, meadow steppes.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
submontane, montane; 450-850 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, slate, sandstone (Permian; Devonian, Carboniferous; Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
grey to dark grey forest soils, degraded black earths, locally rich humus carbonate soils (rendzines); (lithic and orthic greyzems; luvic chernozems; rendzic leptosols)
soil texture
loam, sandy loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII1, VIII(VI)4
average annual temperature
1,5-2 EC
average annual precipitation
(580-)660-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-19 EC
average temperature of the coldest month
January -16 to -15 EC
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Mainly semi-natural forests subjected to little anthropogenic influence.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Species worthy of protection: south Uralian subendemic species like Cicerbita uralensis, Knautia tatarica, Lathyrus litvinovii, Cypripedium guttatum, Neottianthe cucullata.
causes of endangerment
---
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation and protection of large-sized semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Russia: west slope of the south Ural, southwestern part of the Zilairskoe plateau, Zapovednik Baškirikij.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Gorčakovskij 1968; Gorčakovskij 1972; Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Kurnaev 1980; Sočava & Semenova-Tjan-Šanskaja 1956
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by P.L. Gor…akovskij, completed by G.N. Ogureeva
