Title
Balkanic-Rhodopean Oriental hornbeam-hop-hornbeam forests (Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis), partly with Haberlea rhodopensis
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Small-scaled: Bulgaria: north Rhodopes, Balkan-mountains; north-eastern Greece: Nestos-valley
area frequency
2 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Ostryeta carpinifoliae Bondev 1991, Ostryo-Carpinion Horvat 1959.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Low-growing, bush-formed, usually two-layered (tree and herb layer) forests with many thermophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis, Fraxinus ornus, Quercus pubescens, Acer campestre, Fraxinus excelsior, (Pinus nigra, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Populus tremula)
Shrub layer
Crataegus monogyna, Rosa pimpinellifolia, Juniperus communis, Juniperus oxycedrus, Sorbus aria, Cornus mas
Lianas
Hedera helix, Clematis vitalba
Herb layer
Sesleria latifolia, Cyclamen hederifolium, Erythronium dens-canis, Geranium sanguineum, Clinopodium vulgare, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Trifolium alpestre, Geum urbanum, Festuca pirinensis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum cupressiforme, Hylocomium splendens
Diagnostically important species
Ostrya carpinifolia, Carpinus orientalis, Quercus pubescens; Sesleria latifolia, Festuca pirinensis, Haberlea rhodopensis, Erythronium dens-canis
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Only in the Rhodope mountains with Haberlea rhodopensis.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Forests with Fagus sylvatica subsp. moesiaca, Quercus dalechampii, Pinus nigra, Quercus cerris; alluvial forests, as well as Carpinion orientalis communities.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Pine forests (D63), species-rich beech forests (F153, F154), sessile oak forests (G9), Balkan oak forests (G28), hop-hornbeam forests (G56), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G59), black pine forests (K16), alluvial forests (U18).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Degraded shrub forests with Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia, Juniper species, Pinus forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands.
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
Sunny ravine slopes with rocky projections and slopes of river valleys where higher humidity prevails.
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline to montane; 100-1300 m
Geology (bedrock)
carbonate rocks (Cretaceous), siliceous rock (Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
cinnamonic and grey forest soils; humus carbonate soils with high proportion of raw stone content; (chromic and humic cambisols; chromic luvisols; rendzic leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII), X
average annual temperature
9-11 °C
average annual precipitation
700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 18-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January -2 to 0 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Strong insolation on south-exposed slopes, high air humidity in gorges and on valley slopes.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Quite well preserved, not used for forestry.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All stands are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
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required measures for protection and restitution
Many stands protected in the Rhodope mountains and the Balkan mountains.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: Červenata stena, Džendema, Soteneto; Greece: Nestos-gorge near Toxates, Nestos-upper course at the Bulgarian border.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bondev 1991
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by I. Bondev and Z. Neuhäuslová, Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier
