Title
Cretan meso-supra-Mediterranean open cypress woodlands (Cupressus sempervirens) with Acer sempervirens, Luzula nodulosa
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Greece: Crete: mountain forest as far as to the upper timber-line
area frequency
4 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Cupresso-Aceretum orientale Orshan 1965; Luzulo nodulosae-Cupressetum sempervirentis Barbéro & Quézel 1980, Acero sempervirentis-Berberidetum creticae Barbéro & Quézel 1980.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open montane coniferous forest consisting of horizontal cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens) with admixtures of Quercus coccifera and Acer sempervirens, in basins and at lower slopes there is also Zelkova abelicea locally. The shrub layer is varyingly developed depending on light conditions and features Berberis cretica and Crataegus monogyna. Neighbouring oro-Mediterranean thorn-cushion vegetation spills over non-specifically in the herb layer; Luzula nodulosa is more shade tolerant.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Cupressus sempervirens, Acer sempervirens, Quercus coccifera, locally Zelkova abelicea
Shrub layer
Quercus coccifera, Acer sempervirens, Berberis cretica, Crataegus monogyna (s. l.), Pyrus spinosa
Herb layer
Luzula nodulosa, Neotinea maculata SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1, Urginea maritima, Arisarum vulgare, Asphodelus ramosus, Brachypodium retusum, Centaurea raphanina subsp. raphanina, Dracunculus vulgaris, Crepis fraasii, Lamyropsis cynaroides, Phlomis cretica
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
No details
Diagnostically important species
Cupressus sempervirens, Acer sempervirens; Luzula nodulosa, Neotinea maculata
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)
thorn-cushion vegetation, rock scree vegetation of the high mountains, snowbed-like small dolina vegetation.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
holm oak forests (J22), wild olive-locust tree forests (J49), Pinus brutia forests (K23), thorn-cushion vegetation (N4).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
large areas of grazing-conditioned Quercus coccifera-Berberis cretica false macchia.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
dwarf shrub heaths (phrygana).
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
moderately high to higher mountain slopes up to the tree line
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
montane to supramontane
Geology (bedrock)
limestone, dolomite (Cretaceous, Jurassic, Triassic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
rocky raw soils, humus carbonate soils; (calcaric, lithic and rendzic leptosols; calcaric regosols)
soil texture
stony, loamy-sandy
soil moisture, water balance
dry
soil fertility
meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
IV4
average annual temperature
10-14 °C
average annual precipitation
as much as 1200 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
20-22 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
2-6 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Mediterranean, snow-rich mountain climate with distinct summerly depression in precipitation.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Greatly diminished and only preserved in fragments; all stands have been heavily grazed through and cleared. Stands with a positive regeneration tendency are endangered and worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Especially worthy of protection are remainder stands of the endemic Ulmaceae Zelkova abelicea.
causes of endangerment
Grazing, timber cutting, fires.
required measures for protection and restitution
Fencing of growing remnants against the effects of overgrazing.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Greece: Crete: Lefka Ori (White Mountains), Psiloritis Mountains, Lasithi Plateau, Omalos Plateau.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Barbéro & Quézel 1980; Egli 2000; Zohary & Orshan 1966
Compiled by
Th. Raus and E. Bergmeier
