Title
Transylvanian mixed Tatarian maple-oak forests (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Acer tataricum) with Helleborus purpurascens, Melampyrum bihariense in combination with steppe grasslands (Stipa tirsa, Carex humilis, Astragalus peterfii)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Romania: central part of the Transylvanian basin
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Aceri tatarici-Quercetum petraeae-roboris (Soó 1951) emend. Zólyomi 1957 (syn: Quercetum roboris-petraeae praerossicum Soó 1947); Danthonio-Stipetum stenophyllae Ghisa 1941.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forests with a well-developed shrub and herb layer featuring a mixture of Fagetalia and Carpinion as well as thermophilous species in complex with species-rich, multi-layered meadow steppe and steppe communities with many continental species, and sometimes also Arrhenatheretalia and Balkan species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Acer tataricum, Acer campestre, Sorbus torminalis, Pyrus pyraster, Malus sylvestris, Carpinus betulus, Prunus avium
Shrub layer
Prunus spinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Cornus mas, Ligustrum vulgare, Euonymus verrucosa, Euonymus europaea
Herb layer
Forests: Helleborus purpurascens, Melampyrum bihariense, Stellaria holostea, Asarum europaeum, Hepatica nobilis, Lathyrus niger, Melittis melissophyllum; dry grassland: Brachypodium pinnatum, Carex humilis, Festuca rupicola, Stipa tirsa, Campanula sibirica, Linum flavum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Veronica spicata, Onobrychis viciifolia, Phleum montanum, Leontodon crispus subsp. asper, Thymus comosus, Jurinea mollis subsp. transsilvanica
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
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Diagnostically important species
Forests: Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Acer tataricum; Helleborus purpurascens, Melampyrum bihariense; Dryrasen: Brachypodium pinnatum, Carex humilis, Stipa tirsa, Stipa lessingiana, Astragalus peterfii, Paeonia tenuifolia
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)
Genisto tinctoriae-Quercetum petraeae Klika 1932 transsilvanicum Gergely 1962; Stipetum lessingianae Soó 1947.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
oak-hornbeam forests (F60), species-poor beech forests (F102), species-rich beech and mixed beech forests (F125, F126), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G16), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G21), alluvial forests (U16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Degraded forests with much Acer tataricum, Acer campestre; Robinia and Pinus forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadow steppes.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Crop fields, fruit cultivation.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline; 250-400 m
Geology (bedrock)
Tertiary molasse and Pleistocene sediments
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
base-rich brown soils, brown soils-chernozem, carbonate-chernozem, regosol; (luvic phaeozems; calcic chernozems; eutric cambisols)
soil texture
clayey to loamy
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to weakly alkaline
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)
average annual temperature
8-9 °C
average annual precipitation
550-650 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-19 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -5 to -4 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
opposing local climatic conditions from cool to moderately dry on northern slopes to hot to dry on steep south exposed slopes.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The forest area has been greatly reduced; the structure and composition of the forests has been changed by excessive use and low forest management. The area of the meadow steppes has been reduced substantially by transformation into areas of arable land. Semi-natural forest and steppe areas are especially worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Small forest remnants and true steppe communities with rare species like Paeonia tenuifolia, Astragalus peterfii for instance are highly endangered.
causes of endangerment
Low forest management, excessive use, transformation into areas of arable land.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Romania: Finatele Clujului, Suatu, Camarasu.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Borza 1959; Csűrős, Resmeriţă, Csűrős-Kaptalan & Gergely 1961; Gergely 1968; Ghişa 1941; Soó 1947b
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by G. Coldea
