engleski

Forest of Beech and Fescue (Festuco drymeiae-Fagetum) in Croatia

Beech forest with fescue (Festuco drymeiae-Fagetum) grows in illimerized and brown illimerized soils in northern Croatia, particularly in hilly and sub-mountainous positions of the Slavonian mountain range. This forest differs fundamentally from beech forests of the alliance Aremonio-Fagion as it shows independence in the floral composition, ecological conditions and physiognomy. The cover with a very small number of Illyrian species makes it subordinate to the Central European alliance Fagion. In hilly positions on slopes towards ditches and on north-facing sides the community is predominantly azonal, whereas in higher positions and on the ribs of lower hills it may be considered zonal. The tree layer, dominated by the beech, frequently contains hornbeam and sessile oak, while the shrub layer is undeveloped or very poor. Festuca drymeia and Carex pilosa prevail in the ground layer, whereas Rubus hirtus sporadically constitutes entire facieses. Of Illyrian species, only Ruscus hypoglossum is more permanently represented, and so are Knautia drymeia and Vicia oroboides with a small cover. Cyclamen purpurascens, Epimedium alpinum, Erythronium dens canis and species of the genus Hellborus occur only in some places. The forest of beech and fescue is a very interesting subject of research ; for this reason the paper also analyses the previously described communities in Croatia (Pelcer in Cestar et al. 1978, 1983, Regula-Bevilacqua 1978, Trinajstić and Franjić 1999, Vukelić and Baričević 2002, 2004, Baričević 2002). The community has been meticulously compared with the related stands in the neighbouring areas in Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Vojvodina (A. O. Horvat 1973, Janković and Mišić 1980, Cimperšek 1988, Zupančič, Žagar and Surina 2000 and others). A detailed description, range, floral composition, and synecological and syntaxonomic characteristics are also given.

beech forest; fescue; northern Croatia; floral composition; synekology

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