Title
Thracian downy oak-bitter oak forests (Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens) with Quercus infectoria, partly Quercus frainetto
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Turkey: Central, east and south Thracia
area frequency
6 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
No details
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
No details
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens, Quercus frainetto, Quercus infectoria, Carpinus orientalis, Pyrus elaeagrifolia, locally Quercus iberica, Fraxinus ornus
Shrub layer
Crataegus monogyna, Cornus mas, Asparagus acutifolius, locally Phillyrea latifolia, Erica manipuliflora, Juniperus oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi, Cistus creticus, Rosa canina
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus cerris, Quercus pubescens, Quercus frainetto, Quercus infectoria, Carpinus orientalis
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In the area between Vize and Sinekli with Quercus frainetto; near Çatalca with Quercus infectoria; colline area between the Koru Dağ-Işıklar Da mountain chains and middle Thracia with Quercus infectoria, Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Oriental beech forests (F161), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G24), Balkan oak forests (G29, G30), downy oak-bitter oak forests (G33), Pinus brutia-forests (K22), forest steppes (L15), alluvial forests (U18).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus nigra forestry (in the north), Pinus brutia forestry (in the south), low forest; scrub with Juniperus oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Meadows, pastures (small-areas).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Cultivation of maize, beans, sunflowers, wheat etc.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Settlements (small villages).
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
weakly undulating hilly country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 0-600 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Eocene); crystal schist
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown soils to parabrown soils, locally humus carbonate soil; medium deep to deep; low to medium stone content, permeable; (chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols; humus carbonate soils; pellic vertisols)
soil texture
loamy clay to clay; clayey loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry (depending on the location, at lower slopes partly moist)
soil reaction
weakly acidic to alkaline (pH 5,5-6,5; 7,0-8,2)
soil fertility
mesotrophic, meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4
average annual temperature
12-13,5 °C
average annual precipitation
700-850 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20,4-20,7 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 1-3,5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Mediterranean influence: 4 months of dry summer.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Semi-natural stands are rare and as such particularly worthy of protection, usually heavily degraded low forest.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Grazing, low forest management, charcoal production, afforestation, air pollution.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of semi-natural stands, natural regeneration.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Turkey: north and south-east Thracia: southern slopes of the Yıldız-mountains (Istranca) near Üsküp-Yoğuntaş, between Vize-Sinekli, north-western of Çatalca; northern slopes near Kıyıköy-Çilingoz-Yalıköy (Black Sea coast); north-western of the Koru Dağ-Işıklar Dağ mountains.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Irmak, Kurter & Kantarcı 1980; Kantarcı 1976; Kantarcı 1978a; Kantarcı 1978b; Kantarcı 1979a; Kantarcı 1979b; Kantarcı 1986; Kantarcı 1994; Kantarcı 1996; Kantarcı 1997c; Kantarcı 1997d; Kantarcı & Karaöz 1998
Compiled by
M.D. Kantarcİ
