Dinaric calcareous block fir forest


The Dinaric calcareous silver fir forests are an endemic vegetation type of the littoral Dinaric Alps, located in the Dinaric Mountains mixed forests ecoregion in southeastern Europe. Pure stands of Dinaric calcareous Silver fir forests appear on limestone escarpments in the montane zones of Orjen, Velebit, Biokovo and Prenj. They comprise one of the most interesting formations of Balkan vegetation types as the forests bear several rare plants and are of striking beauty. As a highly endemic and rare vegetation type of the Dinarids it needs protection.

Structure

Dinaric calcareous silver fir forests have an open structure which is environmentally sensible. As storms of bora and scirocco type are common on the coastal Dinaric mountains, wind plays a great role in the formation of the highly labil structure in the pure silver fir communities. Silver firs can reach up to on the limestones and trunk diameters of have been observed.

Distribution

Dinaric calcareous silver fir forests are dispersed in smaller patches on the hypercarstic litoral karst mountain environments of the Dinarids. Prominent are those on Velebit and Orjen, appearing on bare limestone escarpments in the montane lifezone between. The abundance of precipitation on these coastal mountains of up to 5000 mm/m²a with the dry soil conditions restricts these pure silver fir forests to the most rainy and humid spots of the Dinarids.

Ecology

Silver fir is a constituent of montane central European forests. As a rare species in dry climates of the Mediterranean, the silver firs presence on Mt. Orjen is restricted to humid northern slopes. A marked difference in the fir's vegetation patterns is seen here. It has a common cause in soil formation. High soil-water content in terrae fuscae on glacial superstratum leads to beech-fir forests. Whereas dry initial rendzinas on glacio-karstic substrate support xeric dinaric calcareaous silver fir forests. Latter endemic community rich in submediterranean species has evolutional parallels with Bosnian Pine communities.

Floristic composition

Dinaric calcareous silver fir forests are among the most species-rich montane ecosystems in the Dinaric Alps.
Mixed deciduous-silver fir peony -forests with Paeonia daurica' have the most species rich composition found so far on Orjen .
ArtPlot 1Plot 2
Paeonia daurica - Peony43
Abies alba - Silver fir43
Fagus sylvatica - Beech45
Corylus colurna30
Ostrya carpinifolia04
Acer pseudoplatanus - Sycamore maple33
Acer intermedium02
Fraxinus excelsior - Ash32
Sorbus aria20
Euonymus europaea02
Crataegus montanus20
Prunus prostrata02
Lonicera glutinosa30
Rosa pendulina02
Sesleria autumnalis54
Aremonia agremonoides22
Heracleum sphondylium30
Asphodelus albus22
Lilium martagon ssp. cattaniae - Lily22
Iris orjenii02
Bryonia dioica22
Dentaria enneaphyllos20
Hedera helix - Ivy30
Tamus communis30
Sedum maximum22
Dryopteris filix-mas20
Hieracium murrorum02
Pteridium aquilinum20
Lamium spec.02
Anemone nemoralis20
Frangula rupestris02
Viola riviniana22
Prenanthes purpurea20
Polygonatum odoratum02
Dentaria bulbifera22
Melica nutans22
Thalcitrum minus02
Crocus dalmaticus02
Cirsium erisithales20
Sesleria robusta30
Sedum ochroleucum22
Rubus idaeus20
Cicerbita alpina20
Rosa spec.02
Vicia cracca02
Convallaria majalis20
Festuca ovina03
Fragaria vesca20
Myrrhis odorata50
Asyneuma pichlerii20
Geranium robertianum20
Galium lucidum05
Thalictrum aquilegiifolium''02
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*
Syntaxonomic chart of mixed deciduous-silver fir-peony forest at Orjen

Plant list

Typical plants of the many times dry basic Kalkomelasol soil plant Biotope:

C. OREOHERZOGIO-ABIETALIA Fuk. 1969

a) O r e o h e r z o g i o-A b i e t i o n Ht. emend. Fuk.

1. Oreoherzogio-Abietetum Fuk.

Literature

  • Pavle Cikovac: Sociology and ecology of silver fir forests on Mt. Orjen - Montenegro. LMU Munich 2002, Department of Geography