Title
Dinaric-central Balkanic bitter oak forests (Quercus cerris) with Acer obtusatum, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus torminalis, Carpinus betulus, Galium schultesii
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Dinaric mountain; Yugoslavia: Serbia
area frequency
14 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Orno-Quercetum cerris Stefanović (1968) 1991, Carpino-Quercetum robori-cerris B. Jovanović 1983, Quercetum cerris-virgilianae B. Jovanović & E. Vukićević 1997, Quercetum pedunculiflorae-cerris B. Jovanović 1998, Quercetum cerris E. Vukićević 1966, Quercetum petreae-cerris B. Jovanović (1960) 1999.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Xerothermic, three-layered forests with many thermophilous and some mesophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus cerris, admixed Quercus petraea, Quercus virgiliana, Quercus pedunculiflora, Acer obtusatum, Acer campestre, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus torminalis, Carpinus betulus, Tilia tomentosa, Ulmus minor
Shrub layer
Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus pentagyna, Ligustrum vulgare, Cornus mas, Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus verrucosa, Rhamnus cathartica, Prunus spinosa, Chamaecytisus hirsutus
Lianas
Hedera helix, Tamus communis
Herb layer
Galium schultesii, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Iris graminea, Sesleria autumnalis, Asparagus tenuifolius, Polygonatum hirtum, Stachys germanica, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Teucrium chamaedrys, Helleborus odorus, Lamium montanum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
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Diagnostically important species
Quercus cerris; Galium schultesii, Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Iris graminea, Asparagus tenuifolius
Ecological variants
Thermophilous-continental forests with species from the order Quercetalia pubescentis-petraeaea and the alliance Ostryo-Carpinion (e.g. Satureja montana, Stachys recta, Peucedanum austriacum, Campanula cervicaria, Geranium sanguineum, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides, Acer monspessulanum).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
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Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Submontane beech forests, oak-hornbeam forests.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F65), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F124, F142, F143, F150, F151, F152), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G58), hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G54), Quercus trojana-forests (G63), alluvial forests (U15, U17).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra and Robinia forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Festuco-Brometea communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
plains and hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to submontane; 50-850 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic), river terraces of the Pliocene
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
shallow humus carbonate soils, brown soils and parabrown soils; (lithic humus carbonate soils; chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols)
soil texture
loamy, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
neutral to alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV(V), VI(X)
average annual temperature
12-15 °C
average annual precipitation
700-1500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
18-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
0 to 4 °C
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)
Often transformed into coniferous wood forestry.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Fires, clear cutting, pasturing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Preservation of remaining stands and renaturalisation of semi-natural forests.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bosnia-Herzegovina: near Bosanski Petrovac.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Jovanović, Mišić, Dihić, Diklić & Vukićević 1997; Stefanović 1971
Compiled by
M. Zupančič
