Title
North Adriatic-Illyrian mixed hop-hornbeam-Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia) with Helleborus multifidus, Sesleria autumnalis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Italy (pre-Alps of Friaul, karst of Triest); Croatia (large-scaled in Istria and at the north Adriatic cost); Bosnia-Herzegovina (scattered in central Dinarics)
area frequency
20 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Ostryo-Quercetum pubescentis (Horvat 1938) Trinajstić 1974, Seslerio autumnalis-Quercetum petraeae Poldini 1982, Carpinetum orientalis Horvatić 1939 em. Poldini 1988, Hacquetio epipactido-Fraxinetum Marincek 1990, Carici umbrosae-Quercetum petraeae Poldini 1982.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Low to moderately high, three-layered forests with Querco-Fagetea and Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae species in the herb layer.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pubescens, (Quercus petraea), Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia, Acer monspessulanum, Fraxinus ornus
Shrub layer
Hippocrepis emerus, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides, Cotinus coggygria, Ligustrum vulgare, Crataegus monogyna, Frangula rupestris, Cornus mas, Paliurus spina-christi, Ruscus aculeatus
Lianas
Hedera helix, Lonicera etrusca, Clematis vitalba, Clematis flammula, Tamus communis, Smilax aspera, Asparagus acutifolius
Herb layer
Helleborus multifidus, Sesleria autumnalis, Lathyrus niger, Tanacetum corymbosum, Viola hirta, Brachypodium pinnatum subsp. rupestre, Melittis melissophyllum, Primula acaulis, Carex halleriana, Carex flacca, Cyclamen repandum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pubescens, Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia; Helleborus multifidus, Sesleria autumnalis, Carex halleriana
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Asaro-Carpinetum betuli, Carpino-Quercetum roboris, Quercus ilex-Fraxinus ornus community.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
acidophilous oak forests (F20), oak-hornbeam forests (F45, F47, F65), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F142, F150, F158), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19), hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G48, G50, G52, G53), holm oak forests (J19), alluvial forests (U15, U17).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
oak low forest, Pinus nigra forestry, oriental hornbeam stands.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Scorzoneretalia villosae.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, potatoes: Diplotaxidion, Fumario-Euphorbion.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Sisymbrion officinalis, Aegopodion podagrariae, Alliarion, Dauco-Melilotion, Hordeion murini, Chenopodion muralis.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country and lower mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 0-500 m
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Upper Cretaceous); flysch (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
lime-rich and leached brown soils, terra rossa; (calcic, eutric and chromic cambisols; chromic luvisols; calcaric regosols)
soil texture
loamy, partly clayey, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic, eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V
average annual temperature
10-14 °C
average annual precipitation
1000-1550 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 23-25 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 3-5 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
sub-Mediterranean climate, rich in precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Usually low forest that is locally strongly degraded and cleared; entire regions of forest are affected by intensive, rapid succession processes.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Clearing, forest grazing, low forest management.
required measures for protection and restitution
Transformation into high forest, prohibition of clearing or forest grazing.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Italy: Val Rosandra (karst of Triest), Laghi di Doberdo e di Pietra Rossa; Croatia: Krk island.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Horvatić 1939; Poldini 1982; Poldini 1988; Poldini 1989; Poldini & Vidali 1995; Trinajstić 1974a; Trinajstić 1974b
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by F. Pedrotti, Z. Neuhäuslová, I. Trinajstić
