24F5

F. Shrub communities

Prickly juniper(Juniperus oxycedrus) scrub

Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: F5.1311 [Juniperus oxycedrus] arborescent matorral; PAL. CLASS.: 32.1311 [Juniperus oxycedrus] arborescent matorral; HD 92/43: 5210 Arborescent matorral with Juniperus spp.; Bondev (1991): 123 Shrubs with prevalence of Junipereta oxycedri combined with xerothermic grass communities, replacing xerothermic forest communities.

Conservation status. BDA, HD.

Category. Nearly Threatened [NT – A1, 2 B1 C2 D2 E1 F1 G1 H1 I L2].

General characteristics. This habitat type includes the xerophilic (hard-leaved) evergreen scrub with the prevalence of Juniperus oxycedrus belonging to the Mediterranean vegetation type and is classified as a transition to the pseudomaquis. Most often they are the terminal stage of the anthropogenic degradation of the xerothermic oak forests in South Bulgaria. Their vertical range is between sea level and 600–700 m alt. The communities occupy slopes mainly with southern exposure or exposure with southern components. The bedrock varies, but at the northern border of the habitat distribution as well as at higher altitudes it is mainly limestone. The soils are Chromic or Rendzic, usually shallow and often eroded, skeletal, dry. Monodominant coenoses with relatively rich composition and high number of Mediterranean species are characteristic for the most typical parts of this habitat type in the valley of Struma River and East Rhodopi Mts. The most frequent shrub species are Asparagus acutifolius, Chamaecytisus  absinthioides, Cistus incanus, Colutea arborescens,and more rarely Crataegus spp., Coronilla emerus subsp. emeroides, Cotinus coggygria, Jasminum fruticans, Ligustrum vulgare, Paliurus spina-christi, Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia terebinthus, Quercus coccifera, Syringa vulgaris etc.  Anemone blanda, Anemone pavonina, Anthoxanthum aristatum, Aristella bromoides(= Stipa bromoides), Cleistogenes serotina subsp. serotina, Fritillaria graeca, Hypericum olympicum, Inula hirta, Lotus aegeus, Medicago rigidula, Salvia viridis, Trifolium angustifolium, T. purpureum etc. constitute the herbaceous component of the coenoses. In Emine Mts., on its coastal slopes at the Black Sea, the habitat is represented by a coenoses of Juniperus oxycedrus with a slightly different composition, in which shrubs of Quercus pubescens participate as well as the shrub species Colutea arborescens, Coronilla emerus,Cotinus coggygria, Genista tinctoria, Pyracantha coccinea, and winding plants: Lonicera etrusca, L. xylosteum, Periploca graeca, Smilax exelsa, and Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. Apart from the dominant species Bothriochloa ischaemum (= Dichathium ischaemum), Dactylis glomerata subsp. lobata and in some places Salvia tomentosa, the following species also participate in the herbaceous layer: Anthoxanthum aristatum, Asparagus verticillatus, Astragalus ponticus, Bituminaria bituminosa, Blackstonia perfoliata, Convolvulus betonicifolius, Dorycnium graecum, Gladiolus italicus, Inula ensifolia, I. hirta, Linum corymbulosum, Onobrychis graciclis, Polygala supina, Salvia virgata etc. For the more northern areas of distribution of this habitat the coenoses of Juniperus oxycedrus in Bessapara hills in the Thracian Lowland occur on limestone with shallow, eroded and stony places. They are represented mainly by shrub-herbaceous complexes. Among the shrubs apart from Juniperus oxycedrus, the abundance of Paliurus spina-christi, Cotinus coggygria is also high (up to 40%). Single shrubs of Coronilla emerus subsp. emeroides, Frangula rupestris, Fraxinus ornus, Pistacia terebinthus, and Rhamnus saxatilis also occur. The open herbaceous areas are dominated by Bothriochloa ischaemum (= Dichanthium ischaemum), Chrysopogon gryllus, Festuca valesiaca, Inula aschersoniana, and Koeleria simonkaii (up 60%). Achillea clypeolata, Agropyron crystatum, Asperula purpurea, Satureja coerulea, Stipa capillata, Thymus longedentatus are also relatively frequent. Single trees or groups of trees of Carpinus orientalis, Fraxinus ornus, Pistacia terebinthus, Pyrus amygdaliformis, Quercus frainetto, Q. pubescens, Q. virgiliana etc. are typical for the widely distributed coenoses of Juniperus oxycedrus. These thermophilic phanerophytes are remnants of former forests; the communities of J. oxycedrus are mainly of secondary origin. The treeless rocky areas in the primary forests probably used to be the primary coenoses in the area. These communities have originated as a result of the human impact (grazing, logging) replacing the autochthonous tree coenoses, in the composition of which J. oxycedrus has participated. The juniper communities have also been strongly affected, proved by the prevalence of the open shrub-herbaceous complexes. These complexes are formed with different shrub coenoses of Carpinus orientalis, Paliurus spina-christi, Jasminum fruticans, Cotinus coggygria, Quercus coccifera etc. and herbaceous coenoses – sub-Mediterranean petrophytic steppes with annual herbs and xerophilic meadows and pastures with Chrysopogon gryllus, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Festuca valesiaca.

Characteristic taxa.

Distribution in Bulgaria. The communities of J. oxycedrus occur within the borders of the xerothermic oak forests only in the mountains of South Bulgaria: East Balkan Range, Sredna Gora Mts., Rhodopi Mts., Pirin Mts., Rila Mts., Slavyanka Mts., Ograzhden Mts., Malashevska Mts. Larger areas of shrubs of J. oxycedrus occur in the valley of Struma river (reaching Zemenska Mts.), the valley of Mesta river and East Rhodopi Mts., Bessapara Hills, and Kraiste region. They reach the southern slopes of the Balkan Range and to Eleddzhik peak in Sredna Gora Mts. The areas in East Balkan Range are more limited; up to 600 m alt.

Conservation importance. The communities are important for their anti-erosion and water-regulating functions. Some rare and endangered species with more southern distributions also occur such as Anemone blanda, A. pavonina, Blackstonia perfoliata, Crocus olivieri, Fritillaria graeca, Galium rhodopeum, Verbascum nobile etc.

Threats. The communities of J. oxycedrus, and especially the shrub-herbaceous complexes, are intensively used as pastures. Therefore they have been burned very often.

Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex № 1 of BDA and is within the borders of some protected areas in East Rhodopi Mts.: Tisata Strict Nature Reserve, Sredna Arda, and Meandrite na Byala Reka Protected Sites, etc. A significant part of the localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000.

Conservation measures needed. Detailed phytocoenological studies and monitoring of the habitat state.

References. Gančev 1958; Gussev & Novoselski 1997; Stanev 1986; Stojanov 1941.

Author: Chavdar Gussev


Prickly juniper (Juniperus oxycedrus) scrub (distribution map)