Title
Hyrcanian lowland-colline mixed broadleaved forests (Quercus castaneifolia, Parrotia persica, Zelkova carpinifolia), partly in combination with Alnus barbata-Pterocarya pterocarpa-alluvial forests
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Azerbaijan: at the north-eastern foot of the Talysh Mountain
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.)
High-growing summer-green relict forests in which Quercus castaneifolia dominates in the upper tree layer (20-35 m) and Parrotia persica and Zelkova carpinifolia prevail in the lower tree layer (15-20 m). In the tree layer other representatives of the relict Hyrcanian dendroflora occur. Shrub undergrowth partly of evergreen species. Lianas are represented particularly at forest fringes and in clearings; the herb layer contains many sedges and grasses.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus castaneifolia, Parrotia persica, Carpinus betulus, Zelkova carpinifolia, Fraxinus excelsior subsp. coriariifolia, Populus hyrcana, Diospyros lotus, Albizia Julibrissin, Pyrus boissieriana, Pyrus hyrcana, Ulmus minor, Tilia begoniifolia, Gleditsia caspia scattered in the south
Shrub layer
Danae racemosa, Ruscus hyrcanus, Mespilus germanica, Crataegus rhipidophylla, Crataegus pentagyna, Crataegus microphylla, Buxus hyrcana
Lianas
Smilax excelsa, Periploca graeca, Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris, Rubus raddeanus, Hedera pastuchowii
Herb layer
Poa masenderana, Carex spicata, Primula heterochroma, Hypericum androsaemum, Luzula forsteri, Asplenium scolopendrium, Polystichum woronowii, Oplismenus undulatifolius
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Quercus castaneifolia, Parrotia persica, Zelkova carpinifolia, Fraxinus excelsior subsp. coriariifolia, Populus hyrcana, Diospyros lotus, Buxus hyrcana, Albizia julibrissin
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)
Pterocarya pterocarpa and Alnus barbata forests at moist and wet sites in the lowlands, Punica granatum and Ficus carica scrub on sandy sediments, and Albizia Julibrissin stands at steep slopes of lower locations.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Oriental beech forests (F166), mixed oak forests (F170, H3), Stipa steppes (M11), deserts (O7, O9), dune vegetation (P16).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Bushy coppice forests, sometimes grazed through completely.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
pastures, Pteridium aquilinum stands.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
tea bush plantations, citrus gardening, tung tree and laurel cultivation, rice-paddies.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Marsilea quadrifolia, Sagittaria trifolia etc. on rice-paddies; Cynodon dactylon etc.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
terraces close to the sea interrupted by mountain rivers, hilly as well as lower mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland to submontane
Geology (bedrock)
palaeogene volcanic rocks (andesite, basalte); flysch (Tertiary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
yellow soils and leached yellow soils, gley soils; (orthic luvisols; xanthic ferralsols; eutric gleysols)
soil texture
loamy, sandy, gravely
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist
soil reaction
moderately acid
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
V
average annual temperature
14-15 °C
average annual precipitation
up to 1300 mm in the south (half of the amount in the north)
average temperature of the warmest month
July/August 24-26 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
January ±3 °C (absolute minimum -15 °C)
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
moist and warm climate, nearly sub-tropic, high relative humidity: throughout the whole year main precipitation in autumn, relatively dry summers; distinctively more continental climate than H1 (yearly amplitude of the average monthly temperature 22‑24°C).
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The natural forest vegetation has been annihilated almost everywhere; usually replacement communities in the form of bushy coppice wood; the few remnants of semi-natural forests are highly worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
All nearly-natural Hyrcanian forest types; endemic species.
causes of endangerment
forest clearing, forest grazing, charcoal production, agriculture (rice).
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of the already existing nature reserves.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Azerbaijan: a well preserved remainder of the natural Hyrcanian lowland forest is protected in a 90 ha large nature reserve (exclave of the Zapovednik Gerkàn near Lenkoran). Besides fragments are preserved on cemetaries of several villages at the foot of the Talysh Mountain.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
No details
Most important references (author, year)
Fedorov 1949; Grossgejm 1948; Prilipko 1980b; Safarov 1962; Sočava 1950
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová based on documents by A.G. Doluchanov and G. Nachucrišvili
