Title
Macedonian-Thracian Balkan oak forests (Quercus frainetto), partly with Carpinus orientalis, Juniperus oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi, with Stipa bromoides
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Bulgaria: Struma-valle, borderland of the Rila-mountains and of the east Rhodope mountains; Greece: Eastern Macedonia and western Thrakia, islands Thasos and Samothraki; Turke: Thrakia (northern part of the Ergene basin), Imroz island
area frequency
17 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Digitali viridiflorae-Quercetum frainetto Gamisans & Hebrard 1980; Symphyto ottomani-Quercetum frainetto Gamisans & Hebrard 1980; (Quercetum confertae-cerris Dafis 1966; Querceta frainetto Bondev 1991).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high (15-25 m), closed, three-layered, species-rich forests with a varyingly developed shrub layer (usually 30-60 %), a sparse to well developed herb layer (usually 30-50 %), and an insignificant moss layer. Sub-Mediterranean species predominate (>50%), while temperate and Central European species also play an important role.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus frainetto predominately, referring to site and habitat with different , mostly stock-like admixture of Quercus dalechampii, Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens, Tilia tomentosa, Castanea sativa, Carpinus orientalis
Shrub layer
Carpinus orientalis, Fraxinus ornus, Sorbus domestica, Sorbus torminalis, Acer hyrcanum, Acer tataricum, Acer campestre, Pyrus pyraster, Cornus mas, Crataegus monogyna, Ligustrum vulgare, Corylus avellana, Ostrya carpinifolia, Paliurus spina-christi, Phillyrea latifolia, Juniperus oxycedrus, Cotinus coggygria, Hippocrepis emerus, Rosa arvensis, Ruscus aculeatus
Lianas
Hedera helix, Clematis vitalba
Herb layer
Lathyrus laxiflorus, Lathyrus niger, Galium laconicum, Silene coronaria, Silene viridiflora, Silene italica, Doronicum orientale, Helleborus odorus, Genista carinalis, Aristolochia pallida, Potentilla micrantha, Festuca heterophylla, Luzula forsteri, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Campanula persicifolia, Aremonia agrimonoides, Primula veris, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Physospermum cornubiense, Campanula trachelium subsp. athoa; Veronica chamaedrys, Brachipodium sylvaticum, Poa nemoralis, Dactylis glomerata, Fragaria vesca, Pteridium aquilinum, Anthoxanthum odoratum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Brachythecium velutinum, Campylium calcareum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Thuidium recognitum, Dicranum scoparium, Tortula subulata
Diagnostically important species
Quercus frainetto, Quercus dalechampii, Tilia tomentosa, Carpinus orientalis; Lathyrus laxiflorus, Galium laconicum, Doronicum orientale, Helleborus odorus, Digitalis viridiflora, Stipa bromoides, Phlomis samia, Leontodon cichoraceus, Symphytum ottomanum, Genista carinalis, Teucrium chamaedrys, Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Satureja vulgaris subsp. orientalis, Festuca valesiaca
Ecological variants
Mesophytic types on debris slopes with Tilia tomentosa, Carpinus orientalis and Fagetalia species (Euphorbia amygdaloides, Hedera helix, Tamus communis, Primula acaulis, Campanula trachelium subsp. athoa, Lathyrus venetus, Melica uniflora); an open form on shallow-soil sites (possibly a primary form) with Juniperus oxycedrus, Phillyrea latifolia, Stipa bromoides, Carex flacca subsp. serrulata.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
West Thracian form with Symphytum ottomanum, Campanula lingulata, Silene atropurpurea; east-Macedonian form with Lathyrus laxiflorus, Galium laconicum, Platanthera chlorantha, Helleborus odorus, Aristolochia pallida.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Quercus dalechampii forests on northern slopes, Tilia tomentosa forests in humid areas, Petasites hybridus-Alnus glutinosa brook alluvial forests; Carpinetum orientalis thracicum, Fagus sylvestris subsp. moesiaca and Ostrya carpinifolia forests.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
sessile oak-hornbeam forests (F67), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F124, F152, F154, F156), mixed Quercus polycarpa-oak forests (G9), mixed Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G21, G23), downy oak-bitter oak forests (G31), mixed Balkan oak-bitter oak-grey oak forests (G36), mixed Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57, G59), holm oak forests (J22), black pine forests (K16, K22), alluvial forests (U18).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Usually degraded and cleared low forest; Castanea sativa “selva” (groves) and “palina” (low forest); Pinus nigra forestry, poplar forestry; in Greece false macchia with Quercus coccifera and Juniperus oxycedrus, in Greece and Bulgaria Carpinus orientalis low forests, Paliurus spina christi and Juniperus oxycedrus scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grazed dry grasslands with Chrysopogon gryllus, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Poa bulbosa, Eryngium campestre, Astragalus onobrychis, Phleum phleoides.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cultivation of wheat, sunflowers, beans and arable crops.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country, lower mountainous country with valley cuttings and sometimes steeply inclined slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane, supra-Mediterranean (montane); 150-1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
crystal rocks (slate-gneiss, micaceous schist, amphibolites, granites), marmor, plutonite (Precambrian, Palaeozoic); Tertiary sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
acidic, in many cases shallow and, partly podzolised brown soils, ranker-brown soils, parabrown soils; (chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols; leptosols; pellic vertisols)
soil texture
sandy loam, loam, loamy clay
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to periodically dry
soil reaction
moderately acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)
average annual temperature
(9)11-13 °C
average annual precipitation
600-950 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 22-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -2 to 0 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
sub-Mediterranean climate with distinct summerly dry period.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
For the most part degraded by low forest management, pollarding and forest grazing, often in the form of pure low forest. Semi-natural stands are valuable as rarities.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural forest stands of all natural forest communities.
causes of endangerment
Low forest management, forest grazing, pollarding, fires, roadway development, establishment of artificial reservoirs (e.g. in the Nestos valley).
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of grazing, strict protection of the semi-natural forests, designation of protected areas, strictly protected nature reserves to allow natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: nature reserve Kirov dol, Varbov dol, Sokolite; Greece: Cholomon-mountains (Chalkidike), Kerdillion-mountains (eastern Macedonia), Nestos-valley and Falakron-mountains north-eastern Dráma (Greek Rhodope mountains), mountainous country near Xanthi (western Thracia).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Bondev 1991; Dafis 1966; Gamisans & Hebrard 1980; Irmak, Kurter & Kantarcı 1980; Kantarcı 1975; Kantarcı 1976; Kantarcı 1978b; Kantarcı 1989b; Kantarcı 1994; Kantarcı 1996; Kantarcı 1997a; Kantarcı 1997d; Kantarcı & Karaöz 1998; Petermann 1999
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by I. Bondev, Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier, M.D. Kantarcİ, completed by U. Bohn referring to Petermann (1999).
