27G1
Mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii
Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: G1.A322 Dacio-Moesian hornbeam forests; PAL. CLASS.: 41.A22 Dacio-Moesian hornbeam forests; HD 92/43: 9170 Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests; Bondev (1991): 56 Hornbeam-Balkan durmast (Querceto-Carpineta betuli) forests (above 600 m alt.), 58 Querceta dalechampii forests, 59 Mixed Balkan durmast (Quercus dalechampii) and Aquatic hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) partly with Mountain ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Flowering ash (F. ornus), Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis) etc.
Conservation status. BDA, HD.
Category. Nearly Threatened [NT – A1, 2 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 I J L3].
General characteristics. Mixed and monodominant forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii with occasional participation of the Common beech (Fagus sylvatica) in some of them. They develop at the border between the low-mountain area of the mixed deciduous forests and the low-mountain forests of Quercus dalechampii, Fagus sylvatica and coniferous species at 500–600 m alt. This habitat type occurs in almost all mountains of Bulgaria: Balkan Range, Forebalkan, Vitosha, Lyulin, Lozenska, Sredna Gora Mts., Northeast Rila Mts., the northern slopes of West and Central Rhodopi Mts., West Frontier Mts., etc. where they occupy mainly shadowy places. The soils are neutral to slightly acidic, rarely carbonate, rich, humid to fresh Chromic Cambisols, Luvisols and Cambisols. The tree layer includes also Acer campestre, A. hyrcanum, A. platanoides, Cerasus avium (= Prunus avium), Fraxinus excelsior, Sorbus torminalis, Tilia cordarta, T. platyphyllos and rarely Quercus cerris and Q. frainetto. Cornus mas, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Ligustrum vulgare occur in the shrub layer. Aegopodium podagraria, Convallaria majalis, Dentaria bulbifera, Festuca heterophylla, Galium odoratum, Melica uniflora and Mercurialis perennis prevail in the herbaceous layer. The development of a spring herbaceous synusium is typical. The mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii differ from the lowland mesophilic and xeromesophilic oak and hornbeam forests by the prevailance of mountain Central European floristic elements.
The present state and structure of the mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii is a result of the increased anthropogenic pressures. Only small parts of this habitat are relatively well preserved and are close to their natural state. The typical mixed forests of Carpinus betulus-Quercus dalechampii and Carpinus betulus-Fagus sylvatica are intensively managed and most often have two-layer structure. Quercus dalechampii and Fagus sylvatica are treated as the main species and Carpinus betulus as an accompanying, even unwanted, species that usually makes a second layer. According to the contemporary concepts in the natural forests of this type the hornbeam constitutes the first layer while Quercus dalechampii is a sub-ediphicator. In areas where the forests are mainly of tree-shoots origin and especially in the transitional zone between the Carpinus betulus-Quercus dalechampii and the beech belt the first two species prevail over the beech due to their higher potential to develop through tree shoots. As a result of this method of management, constant coenoses of the short-lived skiophyte Carpinus betulus and the more heliophilic and long-lived Quercus dalechampii develop.
The syntaxonomy of the mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii are not comprehensively studied. They belong to the class Querco-Fagetea, order Fagetalia sylvaticae, alliances Fagion and Carpinion betuli. So far, coenoses that belong to the associations Carpino-Fagetum and Galio-Carpinetum betuli and the grouping Aegopodium podagraria-Carpinus betulus have been identified.
Characteristic taxa.
- Vascular plants: Acer campestre, A. platanoides, Aremonia agrimonoides, Athyrium filix-femina, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Carpinus betulus, Convallaria majalis, Cornus mas, Corydalis spp., Corylus avellana, Cruciata glabra, Dactylis glomerata, Dentaria bulbifera, Dryopteris filix-mas, Euphorbia amygdaloides, Festuca drymeja, F. heterophylla, Fraxinus excelsior, Galium odoratum, G. pseudaristatum, Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Ligustrum vulgare, Luzula forsteri, L. luzuloides, Melica uniflora, Mercurialis perennis, Mycelis muralis, Physospermum cornubiense, Poa nemoralis, Potentilla micrantha, Pulmonaria officinalis, Quercus dalechampii, Rubus hirtus, Sanicula europaea, Scilla bifolia, Sorbus torminalis, Stellaria holostea, Tilia cordata, T. platyphyllos, Viola reichenbachiana.
- Fungi: Macromycetes – Amanita phalloides, Auricularia auricula-judae, Boletus aestivalis, B. chrysenteron, B. luridus, Cantharellus cibarius, Clitocybe nebularis, Craterellus cornucopioides, Daedalea quercina, Entoloma rhodopolium, Fistulina hepatica, Gymnopus fusipes, G. peronatus, Gyroporus castaneus, Hygrophorus eburneus, Hymenoscyphus calyculus, H. fructigenus, Lacrymaria lacrymabunda, Lactarius chrysorrheus, L. circellatus, L. pyrogalus, Laetiporus sulphureus, Leccinum carpini, Lepista nuda, Marasmiellus ramealis, Marasmius rotula, Merulius tremellosus, Mycena inclinata, Omphalotus olearius, Peniophora lycii, P. quercina, Pleurotus ostreatus, Russula aurea, R. foetens, R. ochroleuca, Scleroderma citrinum, Sclerotinia pseudotuberosa, Xylaria hypoxylon; Micromycetes – Apioplagiostoma carpinicolum, Gnomoniella carpinea, Plagiostoma arnstadtiense (on Carpinus betulus), Apiognomonia errabunda (on Fagus sylvatica, Tilia cordata), Ascochyta mercurialis (on Mercurialis perennis), Diatrype stigma, Hyaloperonospora parasitca (on Dentaria bulbifera), Hypospilina pustulata, Microsphaera alphitoides (on Quercus robur), Peronospora corydalis (on Corydalis spp.), Phyllactinia guttata (on Carpinus betulus, Corylus avellana, F. sylvatica), Rhythisma acerinum, Sawadaea tulasnei (on Acer platanoides), Septoria quercicola (on Q. petraea), Ustilago vaillantii (on Scilla bifolia).
Distribution in Bulgaria. The mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii occur in the Balkan Range, Forebalkan, Vitosha, Lyulin, Lozenska, Sredna Gora Mts, NE Rila Mts., Rhodopi Mts., West Frontier Mountains; from 500–600 to 1100–1200 m alt.
Conservation importance. The mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii cover about 240000 ha in Bulgaria. A number of species of conservation importance occur in this habitat – vascular plants: Lathyrus grandiflorus, Paeonia mascula, Pulmonaria mollis, Rubus hercynicus, Taxus baccata and fungi: Agaricus macrocarpus, Cantharellus friesii, Creolophus cirrhatus, Elasmomyces mattirolianus, Polyporus umbellatus, Strobilomyces strobilaceus.
Threats. Wrongly planned and conducted logging, collection of leaves and acorns as forage, fires, grazing.
Conservation measures taken. The habitat is in Annex № 1 of BDA. Part of the mountain forests of Carpinus betulus and Quercus dalechampii are within the borders of Pirin and Central Balkan National Parks, Vitosha, Sinite Kamani, and Balgarka Nature Parks, Mantaritsa, Leshnitsa and Chervena Stens Strict Nature Reserves, Uchilistna Gora Managed Nature Reserve etc. and in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000.
Conservation measures needed. Mapping and monitoring of the best preserved and most vulnerable habitats. Increase of the areas from this habitat type that are within protected areas and improved forest protection.
References. Mayer & Tichy 1979; Penev et al. 1969; Radkov & Minkov1963.
Author: Marius Dimitrov
