Dinaric calcareous block fir forest

The vegetation of the Karst mountain range and the other karstic mountain range along the Croatian Adriatic coast is very rich in plant species. An important reason for the species richness of forest communities is particularly likely that the area was not glaciated in the ice ages, whereby the Alps have probably lost a large number of species and communities. Some plant communities can be regarded as relics of the Tertiary forest vegetation in Europe before the Pleistocene.

One of these endemic forest communities, the lacks outside the Dinarides, the karst - scree - fir forest Oreoherzogio - abietum, which occurs along the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, Herzegovina and Montenegro. Karst blockfields fir forests are found in the rainy Dinarides on extremely dry ground karst sites or boulders. They have a loose inventory conclusion by the clear canopy so much light reaches the ground. Most important type is the silver fir, the pine snake skin occurs more often.

Dinaric fir-beech forest

In the forest type of the Dinaric fir - white fir Kalkbuchenwalds emerges strongly. Pines have similar ecological requirements such as the beech, both types are often associated, especially in the Alps and the mountain ranges. On the unglaciated northwestern Balkans, called by the plants geographers after the ancient region of Illyria name, it is assumed glacial refugia of these forests, as the unvergletscherte Europe was dominated by tundra vegetation and could accommodate no forests. These forests are therefore here the most species-rich ( floristic diversity center ). The Dinaric fir-beech forest ( Abieti Fagetum dinaricum ) is therefore very diverse and has many character types. This applies also for its subsidiary companies. There have previously been outsourced over 20 subassociations. The companies have been investigated and described in detail by botanists Franz Fukarek.

Pure stands of white pine are found in Illyrian and Balkan beech forest zone only to " coniferous promoting " soils on which the European beech can not thrive. Described are the associations Blechno - Abietetum on acidic soils and Oreoherzogio - abietum ( Karst blockfields - fir forests) on alkaline soils in the high montane zone. The karst - scree - fir forests Oreoherzogio - abietum ( syn. rhamnose abietum ) are focused on hot - dry Hartkalkgesteinen in the mountain stage of the Mediterranean region ( " oromediterran " ) spreads. Here the bodenbasische document is to be regarded as fir -promoting, as are ground fresh ground acidic Moder - up Rohhumusstandorte preferred. Especially layer stairs and round bumps are populated. The sites are heavily karstified and attributable to the type of Glaziokarstes. In most cases, the sites are embedded in Klimaxgesellschaften of fir - beech forest and take only locally larger areas a. Beautifully designed, these are particular in the mountains of Velebit and Orjen.

Locations, ecology and distribution

The clear karst blockfields - fir forest grows on the bare base of Mesozoic limestones. In gaps between blocks of stone formed from organic detritus of the soil type Kalkomelanosol. Characteristic species are buckthorn Rhamnus Carniolan rupestris and snakeskin Pinus leucodermis. The forest type is widespread in the Velebit, Velež, Prenj, Treskavica, Cincar, Malovan, Njegoš, Vojnik and Orjen.

The Oreoherzogio - abietum distinguish meridional character types. Typical species-rich Kalkflora (eg Real daphne Daphne mezereum ) is the vegetation and mosaic of habitats with coniferous forest types, acid- loving mosses, and especially Kalkfelspionieren (eg Asplenium Asplenium Braunstieliger trichomanes ). Bodenfrischere crevices colonize Türkenbundlilie Lilium cattaniae ( syn. L. martagon subsp. Cattaniae ), dog - tooth violet Erythronium dens - canis, Mountain Valerian Valeriana montana, adhesives thistle Cirsium erisithales. Characteristic species are also Viburnum maculatum, Lonicera glutinosa, Sorbus aria ( True Whitebeam ), Berberis illyrica, Juniperus communis var saxatilis ( dwarf juniper), Saxifraga rotundifolia ( Round-leaved saxifrage ) and dominance of reed grass species Calamagrostis arundinacea and Calamagrostis varia. The range of species is also composed of Illyrian and Central European oromediterran widespread species. Through the loosened crop cover also penetrate thermophilic submediterranean downy oak forest elements (Sedum boloniense, doronicum columnae, Rhamnus fallax, Lonicera glutinosa, Paeonia daurica ( Crimean peony ), irises species: Iris pallida, Iris orjenii ). Two subassociations, one with spruce in Croatia and one with a hazel tree in Montenegro and Herzegovina, are described.

* Syntaxonomic table supra Mediterranean rocky forests of the Orjen with Crimean peony

Species richness

Typical species for the tendency to dry out base-rich soil Moder ( Kalkomelanosol ) of the association:

C. OREOHERZOGIO - ABIETALIA Fuk. 1969 a) O r e o h e r z o g i o A b i s t i o n Ht. emend. Fuk. 1 Oreoherzogio - Abietetum Fuk.

Abies alba Pinus heldreichii Fagus sylvatica Corylus colurna Ostrya carpinifolia Pinus nigra Fraxinus excelsior · 2 SHRUB LAYER Berberis illyrica Lonicera glutinosa Viburnum maculatum Rhamnus fallax Sorbus aria Euonymus europaeus Pink pendulina Juniperus communis var saxatilis Sambucus nigra Cotoneaster integerrimus Daphne mezereum Lonicera xylosteum frangula rupestris · 3 HERB LAYER Calamagrostis varia Lilium cattaniae (L. martagon subsp. Cattaniae ) Fritillaria gracilis Cirsium erisithales Valeriana montana Scrophularia nodosa Scrophularia bosniaca Polygonatum viviparum Cystopteris fragilis Arabis turrita Actaea spicata Astrantia major Viola riviniana Vicia cracca Arabis hirsuta Cardamine glauca Urtica dioica Paeonia daurica Muscari botryoides Satureja montana Seseli globuliferum Iberis sempervirens Myosotis sylvestris Taraxacum officinalis Aposeris foetida Hypericum alpinum doronicum columnae

Ononis natrix Melica nutans Corydalis ochroleuca Ceterach officinarum Sedum boloniense Cicerbita alpina Erysimum humile Stellaria graminea Verbascum sp. Lotus alpinus Saxifraga marginata Symphytum tuberosum Asplenium trichomanes Cardamine glauca Hieracium murorum Convallaria majalis Actaea spicata Rubus idaeus Thalictrum aquilegifolium Thalictrum minima Potentilla speciosa Potentilla argentea Myrrhis odorata Scilla litardieri Sesleria robusta Peucedanum longifolium Gentiana lutea Lamium sp. Aremonia agrimonoides Polystichum lonchitis Achillea sp. Origanum vulgare Lotus corniculatus Heracleum sphondylium Gentiana verna Luzula luzuloides Silene sp. Sedum maximum Aquilegia Dinarica Moltkia petraea asphodel albus Asplenium ruta - muraria Asplenium adiantum - nigrum Amphoricarpos neumayerii Ornithogalum umbellatum Epilobium angustifolium Biscutella cichorifolia

Development and succession

The described silver fir forest comes upon layer stairs predominantly in virgin forests or along with sycamore maple, often also the tree - hazel. Beech missing mostly, but comes on adjacent land before ever. Less developed rock sites can smooth transitions to the fir-beech forest recognize. The duration azonal company settled in the Karst split enigmatic soils steep coarse block floors and stairs layer ( Moder - up Tangelhumus ) favoring pioneer species. Among the moss and dwarf shrub Cover the roots of conifers reach the slowly filling up with humus columns. In advanced, closed phases, the humus layer blankets are mineralized, so that then expose the root systems. Book rejuvenation comes only in advanced on soil and vegetation development ( Mull to mildew ) in the shade of pine, with troughs excrete through long snow conditions and in the cavity- rich boulders flowing cold air for the book. Grobblockige steep slopes inhibit the development of beech, fir while protected from snow and thrust is at risk here less by snow mold ( Herpotrichia nigra). The growth of silver fir has been spilled into the rule and zwieselig.

Credentials

• Cikovac P.: Sociology and locational distribution fir forests rich in Orjen mountain - Montenegro. Thesis at the LMU, Department of Geography, Munich ( 2002).
• Cikovac P.: DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY OF Dinaric CALCAREOUS FIR FORESTS IN THE HIGH KARST ZONE. In: FUTURE WITH FOREST, Belgrade, (2010 ), pp. 55-56. pdf

• Geography (Montenegro )
• Habitat type
• Forest type
• Plant community
• Dinarides
• Orjen