Title
Peloponnesian supra-Mediterranean Balkan oak forests (Quercus frainetto) with Geranium peloponesiacum, Geranium asphodeloides, Oenanthe pimpinelloides, Melittis melissophyllum subsp. albida
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Greece: insular on the Peloponnesus
area frequency
12 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Melitto-Quercion Barbéro et al. 1976, Quercetum frainetto-brachyphyllae sensu Horvat, Glavač & Ellenberg 1974.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forest (sometimes with a second tree layer), a more weakly developed shrub layer, and a moderately to poorly developed herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus frainetto, mostly different admixture of Quercus pubescens, Castanea sativa, Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis
Shrub layer
Acer monspessulanum, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa arvensis, Prunus cocomilia, Quercus coccifera
Herb layer
Geranium peloponesiacum, Geranium asphodeloides, Oenanthe pimpinelloides, Melittis melissophyllum subsp. albida, Lathyrus niger, Lathyrus laxiflorus, Trifolium pignantii, Potentilla micrantha, Digitalis ferruginea, Cyclamen peloponnesiacum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
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Diagnostically important species
Quercus frainetto; Geranium peloponnesiacum, Geranium asphodeloides, Oenanthe pimpinelloides, Melittis melissophyllum subsp. albida, Cyclamen peloponnesiacum
Ecological variants
No details
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)
Quercion ilicis communities, Quercus pubescens-Quercus macrolepis mixed forests, Mediterranean coniferous forests (Abies cephalonica, Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana), Platanus orientalis riverbank forests.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
holm oak forests (J22), Abies cephalonica-forests (K27).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Castanea sativa forestry; Quercus frainetto low forests; false macchia with Quercus coccifera, Juniperus oxycedrus, Ostrya carpinifolia, Fraxinus ornus; Erica arborea scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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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
mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
supra-Mediterranean; ca. 800-1100 m; descending further down on shady sides in valley cuts
Geology (bedrock)
clays and sands (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown soils and parabrown soils; (stony chromic luvisols; chromic cambisols)
soil texture
clayey, loamy, sandy, partly stony
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4
average annual temperature
10-14 °C
average annual precipitation
700-900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-24 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-1 to 3 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Winter moderately cold, summer warm with distinct minimum of precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Preserved only in small-areas in a near-natural condition; usually strongly degraded stands.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Semi-natural stands are especially worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Forest grazing, clearing, low forest management.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of forest grazing and low forest management in selected areas, ecological restitution of degraded stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: Parnon- and Erimanthos-mountains (Peloponnesus).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Barbéro & Quézel 1976; Rothmaler 1943
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier
