Title
South Balkanic Balkan oak forests (Quercus frainetto) with Verbascum glabratum, Geocaryum capillifolium
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Greece: eastern Theassalian mountains (Ossa, Pilion), northern Pindos-mountains from the Albanian border to the Gulf of Corinth; not shown on the map for Yugoslavia (Serbia), Macedonia and Bulgaria
area frequency
14 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Verbasco glabrati-Quercetum frainetto Gamisans & Hebrard 1979, Huetio-Quercetum frainetto Raus 1980, Carpino orientalis-Quercetum frainetto Rizovski 1978, Carpino orientalis-Quercetum frainetto-cerris (Knapp 1944) B. Jovanović 1953.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forests (sometimes with a second tree layer), moderately developed shrub layer and a well developed herb layer, rich in grasses, thermophilous herbs and geophytes.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus frainetto, with different admixture of Quercus cerris, Castanea sativa, Quercus dalechampii, Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia
Shrub layer
Sorbus torminalis, Fraxinus ornus, Crataegus monogyna, Crataegus laevigata, Rosa arvensis, Malus florentina
Herb layer
Verbascum glabratum, Geocaryum capillifolium, Physospermum cornubiense, Lathyrus laxiflorus, Symphytum bulbosum, Trifolium pignantii, Trifolium ochroleucon, Leontodon cichoraceus, Melittis melissophyllum subsp. albida, Potentilla micrantha, Doronicum orientale, Helleborus odorus, Campanula spatulata subsp. spruneriana, Luzula forsteri, Silene italica, Silene flavescens, Festuca heterophylla, Cnidium silaifolium, Vicia grandiflora, Cardamine graeca, Crepis fraasii, Galium pseudoaristatum, Stipa bromoides, Crocus chrysanthus, Ajuga laxmannii among others.
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus frainetto; Verbascum glabratum, Geocaryum capillifolium, Physospermum cornubiense, Symphytum bulbosum, Crepis fraasii, Cardamine graeca, Trifolium pignantii
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Macedonian variant: without Quercus cerris, with a range of Balkan species and Verbascum glabratum; eastern Thessalonian variant: without Quercus cerris, with Hieracium bracteolatum and Verbascum aphentulium.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Bitter oak forests and bitter oak-rich Balkan oak mixed forests, Tilio-Castanetum Dafis 1973, Platanus orientalis and Alnus glutinosa riverbank forests; beech and beech-fir forests in valley cuttings, pine forests (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) as well as Ostrya carpinifolia forests on special sites.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F148, F154, F155, F156), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19, G22), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57), holm oak forests (J22), kermes oak forests (J33), black pine forests (K15), fir forests (K27), alluvial and lowland forests (U18, U35).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Castanea sativa stands, Robinia and Pinus nigra forestry, oak and chestnut low forest, false macchia with Quercus coccifera, Juniperus oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi, Carpinus orientalis; Erica arborea scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Chrysopogono-Danthonion Kojic 1957, Teucrio-Chrysopogonetum grylli R. Jovanović 1954.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly and mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline to montane; 300-900 m
Geology (bedrock)
flysch (Cretaceous, Tertiary), siliceous rock (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown soils and parabrown soils; (chromic luvisols; chromic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3b, IV(V)a, IV(VI)
average annual temperature
11-16 °C
average annual precipitation
550-750 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
0-5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
moderately cold in winter, warm and dry (deficiency in precipitation) in summer
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Usually fully developed low forest, with foci of centrally growing out high forests only in poorly accessible mountainous locations. Semi-natural stands are especially worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural stands.
causes of endangerment
Forest grazing, low forest management.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of forest grazing and low forest management in selected areas.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: eastern Theassalian mountains (Ossa, Pilion), northern Pindos-mountains along the Albanian border; Serbia within the radius of Negotin (north-east).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Barbéro & Quézel 1976; Bergmeier 1990; Gamisans & Hebrard 1979; Jovanović 1950; Jovanović 1980; Konstantinidis, Chatziphilippidis, Tsiourlis & Tsiontsis 2002; Raus Th. 1980; Rizovski 1978
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by Th. Raus, E. Bergmeier; M. Zupančič
