Title
East Aegean black pine forests (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) with Teucrium kotschyanum
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Greece: island Samos (in the mountains 800-1000 m, spreading to there from Anatolia)
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Adenocarpo-Pinion Quézel, Barbéro & Akman 1977.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open to closed, high-stemmed (18-20 m) pine forests (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) with a partly evergreen shrub layer that is developed according to light conditions and a similarly developed herb layer (in which neighbouring thorn cushion communities sometimes spill over in a non-specific mosaic-like manner).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana
Shrub layer
Quercus coccifera, Prunus spinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Chamaecytisus eriocarpus
Herb layer
Doronicum orientale, Teucrium kotschyanum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana; Teucrium kotschyanum
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Teucrium kotschyanum (Samos, western Anatolia, Cyprus) emphasises the phytogeographical relationship between the black pine forests of Samos and the Anatolian mainland.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Thorn-cushion vegetation (Daphno-Festucetalia), Pinus brutia forests (Quercion ilicis).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
holm oak and kermes oak forests (J22).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pinus nigra afforestation.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Quercus coccifera-Juniperus oxycedrus false macchia after grazing.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
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Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
higher mountainous locations, slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane; 800-1000 m
Geology (bedrock)
siliceous rock (micaceous schist), but also calcareous rock, metamorphc rocks (Tertiary, Mesozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
raw soils, ranker; (lithic, dystric and rendzic leptosols)
soil moisture, water balance
dry
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV3b
average annual temperature
12-16 °C
average annual precipitation
600-700 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
5-7 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
cloud-rich Mediterranean montane climate, winter-mild (snow-poor), with distinct summerly depression in precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Only preserved in part and more or less heavily grazed. Semi-natural stands or stands with good progressive regeneration are worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
all nearly-natural stands.
causes of endangerment
Grazing, timber cutting, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
Cessation of use in semi-natural stands that are capable of regeneration.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: Samos (Mt. Ambelos).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Akman, Barbéro & Quézel 1979; Christodoulakis 1986; Quézel, Barbéro & Akman 1977; Rechinger & Rechinger-Moser 1951
Compiled by
Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier
