Title
Southeast Thracian meso-Mediterranean kermes oak forests (Quercus coccifera) with Laurus nobilis, Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne, partly in combination with Pinus brutia-forests
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Turkey: northern coastal strip of the Marmara sea from the Gelibolu peninsula as far as to the Bosporus
area frequency
6 polygons.
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.)
Mainly (primeval) Pinus brutia forests with an undergrowth consisting of Mediterranean shrub species.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Quercus coccifera, Quercus infectoria, locally Quercus pubescens, isolated Pinus brutia, Pistacia terebinthus
Shrub layer
Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne, Laurus nobilis, Olea europaea subsp. oleaster, Ruscus aculeatus, Phillyrea latifolia, Spartium junceum, Juniperus oxycedrus, Paliurus spina-christi
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Pinus brutia, Quercus coccifera, Laurus nobilis, Pistacia terebinthus
Ecological variants
In the Cendere Bogazı-Rumeli Hisarı region on acidic sites with Erica arborea, Erica manipuliflora.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Pinus pinea forests at the Bosphorus of an uncertain naturalness.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
species-rich beech forests (F161), Balkan oak forests (G30), bitter oak forests (G33), thermo-Mediterranean dry scrubs (J50), pine forests (K22).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus brutia plantations, but the effects of anthropogenic influences are also in part unclear; low forest remnants.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Vineyards, crop fields (sunflowers, wheat, sesame, rice).
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Cities, villages and summer houses.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
coastal strips and southern slopes turned towards the sea
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; 10-150 (200) m
Geology (bedrock)
Pliocene, Oligocene, flysch (Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
brown soils, parabrown soils; (chromic cambisols; stony chromic luvisols)
soil texture
clayey loam, chalky clay-loam, partly clayey sand
soil moisture, water balance
dry, partly fresh
soil reaction
weakly acidic, neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4, IV(VII)
average annual temperature
13-15 °C
average annual precipitation
520-750 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-23 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
4-6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Protected from cold winds due to their location on southern slopes at the sea; very high water deficiency in summer.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Excessively altered due to long-standing human influence, virtually no semi-natural forest stands exist.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
---
causes of endangerment
Forest fires, afforestation with tree species foreign to the locations, agriculture, urban sprawl.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of preserved forest remnants for the study of the natural succession.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Irmak, Kurter & Kantarcı 1980; Kantarcı 1976; Kantarcı 1984; Kantarcı 1996
Compiled by
M.D. Kantarcı
