Title
Pre-Pannonian sessile oak forests (Quercus petraea) with Fraxinus ornus, Lathyrus niger, Viola alba
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Croatia: small areas surrounding Zagreb in between the rivers Drau and Save
area frequency
3 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Lathyro-Quercetum petraeae Horvat (1938) 1959 (syn.: Orno-Quercetum petraeae Rauš, non Gajić).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Three-layered forests with dominant sessile oak and well developed shrub and herb layers with many thermophilous species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus petraea, admixed Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Ostrya carpinifolia
Shrub layer
Cornus mas, Fraxinus ornus, Viburnum lantana
Lianas
Lonicera caprifolium, Clematis vitalba, Tamus communis
Herb layer
Lathyrus niger, Carex flacca, Viola alba, Melittis melissophyllum, Peucedanum cervaria, Peucedanum oreoselinum, Potentilla micrantha
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus petraea, Fraxinus ornus, Lathyrus niger, Viola alba
Ecological variants
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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)
No details
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-poor beech forests (F87), alluvial forests (U17).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Low forest; Pinus nigra forestry.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Calcareous short grass meadows (Brometalia erecti).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Ruderal vegetation (villages, weekend houses).
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly country at the bases of mountains between the Drau and the Save
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
colline to submontane
Geology (bedrock)
limestone (Lithotamnion-layers, jurassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
carbonate brown soils; (calcic and chromic cambisols)
soil moisture, water balance
moderately dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2a, VI2b
average annual temperature
10-11 °C
average annual precipitation
800-900 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
18-20 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
1-2 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
subhumid sub-Mediterranean climate with a subcontinent tendency.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Endangered.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Excessive use for low forest management, wood cutting.
required measures for protection and restitution
Well preserved stands should be placed under protection, and are also important for protection against erosion.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Croatia: Medvednica near Zagreb, Kalnik.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Horvat 1959; Vukelić 1991
Compiled by
I. Trinajstić
