Title
Hellenic-Aegean meso-Mediterranean holm oak (Quercus ilex) and kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) forests with Arbutus andrachne, Asplenium onopteris, Cyclamen hederifolium, partly in combination with Pinus brutia-forests
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South-west Albania; Greece: Ionian, Peloponnesian and Aegean hill and mountainous country, Crete; Turkey: island Imvros
area frequency
46 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Orno-Quercetum ilicis Horvatić 1958, Arbuto andrachne-Quercetum ilicis Krause, Ludwig & Seidel 1963; "Lauro-Quercetum ilicis" sensu Barbéro & Quézel 1980; Arbutus andrachne-Quercus-coccifera forest Knapp 1965; Quercion ilicis Braun-Blanquet 1936 em. Rivas-Martínez 1974.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Densely closed evergreen or partly evergreen high forest (10-20 m) with Quercus ilex, Quercus coccifera, Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne and Laurus nobilis in the tree layer, and more rarely Carpinus orientalis, Fraxinus ornus and Cercis siliquastrum. Of the leaf-shedding species, Fraxinus ornus (in the montane region) can co-dominate in mature stands while Carpinus orientalis recedes with the age of the stands. The shrub layer in mature, semi-natural stages is practically absent (and consists of sparse young upgrowths of trees). The herb layer is shaded the whole year round and as such is minimal or absent, consisting primarily of seedlings of trees. Open locations feature mosses.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus ilex, Quercus coccifera, Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne, Laurus nobilis, Carpinus orientalis, Cercis siliquastrum, Fraxinus ornus; Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia on special sites
Shrub layer
Pistacia terebinthus, Phillyrea latifolia, Cotinus coggygria, Colutea arborescens, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides
Lianas
Smilax aspera, Rubia peregrina, Tamus communis, Rosa sempervirens, Lonicera implexa
Herb layer
Asplenium onopteris, Ruscus aculeatus, Cyclamen hederifolium, Carex flacca subsp. serrulata, Asparagus acutifolius, Carex halleriana
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Lophocolea heterophylla, Plagiochila porelloides among others
Diagnostically important species
Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis, Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne; Smilax aspera, Asparagus acutifolius, Asplenium onopteris
Ecological variants
On shallow-soil sites sometimes somewhat shrub and herb-richer, in such cases with a generally heavy Pinus participation; warm-moist climate: Orno-Quercetum ilicis; drier-warm: Arbuto andrachne-Quercetum ilicis; moderately cool-moist: Quercus ilex-Carpinus orientalis community.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
East-Mediterranean character due to participation of Arbutus andrachne, Hippocrepis emerus subsp. emeroides, Carpinus orientalis; submontane types with Veronica chamaedrys, Melica uniflora, Luzula forsteri, Carpinus orientalis; Albania: Pinus pinea instead of Pinus brutia.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Platanus orientalis alluvial or bank forests, thermo-Mediterranean Pistacia lentiscus scrub, Pinus brutia and Pinus halepensis stands on special edaphic sites.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
Balkan oak forests (G28, G26, G27), Oriental hornbeam-downy oak forests (G57), Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests (J33, J49), pine forests (K14, K18), fir forests (K27), open cypress woodlands (K31), dune vegetation (P12), salt vegetation (P27), alluvial and moist forests as well as scrubs (U18, U36, U35, U38, U37).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Holm oak low forest, Pinus halepensis, Pinus brutia and in Albania Pinus pinea plantations; Olive tree plantations, citrus plantations.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Due to grazing and both leaf-litter and firewood harvesting: substitute scrub (macchia, garrigue), especially Erica arborea-Arbutus unedo macchia.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
On uncultivated fields Cistus creticus garrigue (Cisto-Micromerietea).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Albania: a secondary plant vegetation develops with Phlomis fruticosa and Salvia fruticosa on the vegetation used as winter pastures.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
coastal hilly country, lower mountain slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland bis submontane
Geology (bedrock)
lime and silicate rocks (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic; Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
(red loam, brown loam); upper horizon humic with loose mull-like mor cover; rock-neutral: above lime and above silicate rocks; (ferralsols; leptosols; (stony) chromic luvisols; calcaric regosols; ochric andosols)
soil texture
loam, partly stony, stone-rich
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry
soil reaction
weakly acidic to alkaline
soil fertility
mesotrophic to eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV2, IV3a, IV4
average annual temperature
16-18 °C
average annual precipitation
700-1800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
22-24 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
8-10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
"humid" Mediterranean climate, relatively secure of frosts; good provision of precipitation must be secured.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Severely displaced (preserved only in fragments); the original high forests have largely been annihilated, but low forest and substitute scrub (macchia) is in a stage of satisfactory, progressive regeneration; extensive Pinus halepensis and Pinus brutia pioneer forests as fire-conditioned permanent communities.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Nearly-natural stands are worthy of protection.
causes of endangerment
Timber cutting, pollarding, grazing, cultivation.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of use in selected areas, tolerance of natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: hilly country of East-Central Greece close to the coast: Kato Olimbos, Ossa, Pilion, Eubœa; Ionian islands: Kephallinia; Peloponnesus: Parnon-mountains.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
Albania: Himarë, Butrint (Sarandë).
Most important references (author, year)
Barbéro & Quézel 1976; Barbéro & Quézel 1980; Bergmeier 1990; Knapp 1964; Krause, Ludwig & Seidel 1963; Mullaj 1989; Raus Th. 1979; Vangjeli 1993
Compiled by
Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier, completed by J. Vangjeli
