Title
Albanian-Macedonian-Greek mixed Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (Quercus pubescens, Quercus virgiliana, Carpinus orientalis) with Symphytum ottomanum, partly with Phillyrea latifolia, Quercus coccifera, Asparagus acutifolius
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
large-scaled in Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece; Turkey (not on the map)
area frequency
10 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Quercetum frainetto-cerris macedonicum (Oberdorfer 1948) Horvat 1959 p.p., Symphyto ottomani-Quercetum frainetto Gamisans & Hebrard 1980, Quercetum pubescentis Bondev 1991, Quercetum virgilianae Bondev 1991.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Moderately high, three-layered forests with a varyingly rich shrub layer and a moderately developed herb layer (currently usually two-layered forests featuring only a tree and a herb layer).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus pubescens, Quercus virgiliana, Quercus frainetto, (Quercus cerris), Fraxinus ornus, Carpinus orientalis, Acer campestre, Acer monspessulanum, Ulmus minor, Celtis australis, Ostrya carpinifolia, Cercis siliquastrum
Shrub layer
Crataegus monogyna, Cotinus coggygria, Cornus mas, Ligustrum vulgare, Hippocrepis emerus, Juniperus oxycedrus, Phillyrea latifolia, Jasminum fruticans, Paliurus spina-christi, Pistacia terebinthus, Colutea arborescens
Lianas
Hedera helix, Clematis vitalba, Clematis viticella, Clematis flammula, Tamus communis , Asparagus acutifolius
Herb layer
Lithospermum purpurocaeruleum, Symphytum ottomanum, Potentilla micrantha, Lathyrus niger, Silene italica, Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii, Festuca heterophylla, Helleborus odorus, Stipa bromoides, Ranunculus rumelicus, Anemone blanda, Anemone pavonina, Arum italicum, Dactylis glomerata, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Luzula forsteri
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hypnum cupressiforme
Diagnostically important species
Quercus pubescens, Quercus virgiliana, Quercus frainetto, Carpinus orientalis; Pistacia terebinthus, Phillyrea latifolia, Juniperus oxycedrus; Stipa bromoides, Anemone spp., Viola alba subsp. dehnhardtii
Ecological variants
No details
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Northern form without, southern form with evergreen species (Phillyrea latifolia, Quercus coccifera).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Quercus coccifera, Phillyrea latifolia forests, Pinus brutia relict forests on amphibolite (in Greek Thracia).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Mixed oak-hornbeam forests (F66), species-rich beech- and mixed beech forests (F124, F153, F154), mixed Quercus polycarpa-oak forests (G9), sessile oak-bitter oak forests (G18), Balkan oak-bitter oak forests (G19, G23), Balkan oak forests (G26, G28), hop-hornbeam-downy oak forests (G54), holm oak forests (J20, J22), kermes oak forests (J33), black pine forests (K15), Pinus brutia-forests (K22), fir forests (K27), dune vegetation (P12), salt vegetation (P23), alluvial and lowland forests as well as scrubs (U17, U18, U35, U36, U37, U38).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
oak low forest, grazing-conditioned false macchia with Quercus coccifera, Juniperus oxycedrus; Pinus nigra forestry; Paliurus and Juniperus oxycedrus scrub.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures with Chrysopogon gryllus, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Poa bulbosa.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country, and lower mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline-submontane; 50-800 m
Geology (bedrock)
flysch (Tertiary, Cretaceous); siliceous rock (Palaeozoic, Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
cinnamonic forest soils; (orthic and chromic luvisols; chromic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry to dry
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic to meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI(VII)
average annual temperature
12-13 °C
average annual precipitation
550-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 23-25 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January 1-2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Warm, summer-dry climate, in the north continantally influenced.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Usually strongly degraded low forest stands without or with a small proportion of oak, grazed false macchia.
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, fires.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of forest grazing and low forest management, protection from fire.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Bulgaria: Struma valley (Tisova Bračina); Greece: Kallithea, Xanthi.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Bergmeier 1990; Bondev 1991; Dafis 1966; Gamisans & Hebrard 1980; Vangjeli 1993
Compiled by
N. Doniţă based on documents by Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier, I. Bondev, completed by J. Vangjeli
