Dinaric karst log dump fir forest

Paleo-endemic Dinaric karst block heaps fir forest is common in the Orjen Mountains on glacial stratified stairs

The vegetation of the Karst Mountains and the other karst mountain ranges along the Croatian Adriatic coast is very rich in plant species. An important reason for the biodiversity, especially of forest communities, is probably that the area was not glaciated during the Ice Ages, which is why the Alps have probably lost a large number of species and communities. Some plant communities can be seen as relics of the tertiary forest vegetation of Europe before the Pleistocene .

One of these endemic forest communities that are absent outside the Dinarides is the karst log dump- fir forest Oreoherzogio-Abietum, which occurs along the Adriatic Sea in Croatia , Herzegovina and Montenegro . Karst block heaps Fir forests can be found in the rainy Dinarides on extremely dry karst sites or block heaps . They have a loose stand, so a lot of light reaches the ground through the light treetops. The most important tree species is the silver fir , the snakeskin pine is also more common.

Dinaric fir-beech forest

Dinaric fir-beech primeval forest in Orjen

In the forest type of the Dinaric fir - beech lime forest , silver fir stands out strongly. Firs have similar ecological demands as the common beech, both species are often associated, especially in the Alps and the low mountain ranges. In the unglaciated north-western Balkans, called Illyria by the plant geographers after the ancient landscape name, these forests are assumed to have been ice-age refuges, when unglaciated Europe was characterized by tundra vegetation and could not accommodate any forests. These forests are therefore the most species-rich here (floristic diversity center ). The Dinaric fir-beech forest (Abieti-Fagetum dinaricum) is therefore very species-rich and has many types of character. This also applies to its subsidiary companies. So far over 20 sub-associations have been outsourced. The societies were examined and described in detail by the vegetation expert Pavle Fukarek .

In the Illyrian and Balkan beech forest zones, pure silver fir stands are only found on soils that are "coniferous", on which the common beech cannot thrive. Described are the associations Blechno- Abietum on acidic soils and Oreoherzogio-Abietum (karst block heaps and fir forests) on basic soils in the high-montane altitude. The karst block heaps-fir forests Oreoherzogio-Abietum (syn. Rhamno-Abietum ) are widespread mainly on warm-dry hard limestone in the mountain range of the Mediterranean region ( "oromediterranean" ). Here, the soil-based underlay is to be regarded as promoting fir trees, and soil-fresh, acidic, musty to raw humus locations are also preferred. Above all, layered stairs and round bumps are settled. The locations are heavily karstified and can be assigned to the Glaziokarst type . Most of the sites are embedded in the climax communities of the fir-beech forest and only take up larger areas locally. These are particularly well developed in the Velebit and Orjen mountain ranges .

Locations, ecology and distribution

Dinaric karst log dump fir forest in Orjen

The light karst log dump fir forest grows on the bare bedrock of Mesozoic limestone . The soil type Kalkomelanosol forms from organic detritus in gaps between stone blocks. Distinctive species are the Carniolan buckthorn Rhamnus rupestris and the snake-skin pine Pinus leucodermis . The forest type is common in Velebit , Velež , Prenj, Treskavica , Cincar, Malovan, Njegoš, Vojnik and Orjen .

The Oreoherzogio Abietum is characterized by meridional types of character. Typical is the vegetation and site mosaic with coniferous forest species, acid-loving mosses, species-rich calcareous flora (e.g. real daphne Daphne mezereum ) and especially limestone spies (e.g. brown-stemmed striped fern Asplenium trichomanes ). Rock crevices that are fresher in the ground colonize Lilium martagon var. Cattaniae , dog-tooth lily Erythronium dens-canis , mountain valerian Valeriana montana , sticky thistle Cirsium erisithales . Distinguishing species are also Viburnum maculatum , Lonicera glutinosa , Sorbus aria ( Sorbus aria ), Berberis illyrica , Juniperus communis var. Saxatilis ( dwarf juniper ), Saxifraga rotundifolia ( Saxifraga rotundifolia ) and dominance of the reed grass species Calamagrostis arundinacea and Calamagrostis varia . The species spectrum is also composed of Illyrian-Central European and Oromediterranean species. Due to the loosened stand closure , warmth-loving sub-Mediterranean downy oak forest elements penetrate ( Sedum boloniense , Doronicum columnae , Rhamnus fallax , Lonicera glutinosa , Paeonia daurica ( Crimean peony ), iris species : Iris pallida , Iris orjenii ). Two sub-associations, one with spruce in Croatia and one with hazel in Montenegro and Herzegovina , are described.

Species-rich mixed forest in warm locations with fir, linden and hazelnut

55 m high and 1.5 m thick primeval forest fir ( Abies alba ) from the Orjen in Montenegro

Peony forest in Orjen

Art	Plot 1	Plot 2
Paeonia daurica - Crimean Peony	4th	3
Abies alba - silver fir	4th	3
Fagus sylvatica - European beech	4th	5
Corylus colurna - hazel tree	3	0
Ostrya carpinifolia - European hop beech	0	4th
Acer pseudoplatanus - sycamore maple	3	3
Acer intermedium	0	2
Fraxinus excelsior - ash	3	2
Sorbus aria - whitebeam	2	0
Euonymus europaea - euonymus	0	2
Crataegus montanus	2	0
Prunus prostrata - prostrate cherry	0	2
Lonicera glutinosa	3	0
Rosa pendulina - Alpine dog rose	0	2
Sesleria autumnalis	5	4th
Aremonia agrimonoides	2	2
Heracleum sphondylium - meadow hogweed	3	0
Asphodelus albus - White Affodill	2	2
Lilium cattaniae (L. martagon var. Cattaniae) - Cattani lily	2	2
Iris orjenii - Orjen Iris	0	2
Bryonia dioica - Red-fruited bryony	2	2
Dentaria enneaphyllos - whorleaved tooth root	2	0
Hedera helix - ivy	3	0
Tamus communis - bedwort	3	0
Sedum maximum - great sedum plant	2	2
Dryopteris filix-mas - common worm fern	2	0
Hieracium murorum - forest hawkweed	0	2
Pteridium aquilinum - bracken	2	0
Lamium spec. - dead nettles	0	2
Anemone nemorosa - wood anemone	2	0
Frangula rupestris	0	2
Viola riviniana - grove violets	2	2
Prenanthes purpurea - hare lettuce	2	0
Polygonatum odoratum - Genuine Solomon's Seal	0	2
Dentaria bulbifera - onion tooth root	2	2
Melica nutans - nodding pearl grass	2	2
Thalictrum minus - small meadow rue	0	2
Crocus dalmaticus	0	2
Cirsium erisithales - sticky thistle	2	0
Sesleria robusta	3	0
Sedum ochroleucum - Yellow ocher sedum	2	2
Rubus idaeus - raspberry	2	0
Cicerbita alpina - alpine milk lettuce	2	0
Rosa spec .-- Roses	0	2
Vicia cracca - bird vetch	0	2
Convallaria majalis - lily of the valley	2	0
Festuca ovina - sheep fescue	0	3
Fragaria vesca - forest strawberry	2	0
Myrrhis odorata - sweet umbel	5	0
Asyneuma pichlerii	2	0
Geranium robertianum - Ruprecht's herb	2	0
Galium lucidum	0	5
Thalictrum aquilegifolium - Columbine-leaved meadow rue	0	2

* Syntaxonomic table of supramediterranean rock forests from the Orjen with Crimean peony

Biodiversity

Paleo-endemic karst block dump fir forest of glacial stratified stairs in the Orjen

Typical types for the base-rich soft soil (lime omelanosol) of the association, which tends to dry out:

C. OREOHERZOGIO-ABIETALIA Fuk. 1969
a) O reoherzogi oAieter Ht. emend. Fuk.
1. Oreoherzogio Abietum Fuk.

· 1st TREE LAYER 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 Rosa 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 Actea 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	Epilobium montanum Ononis natrix Melica nutans Corydalis ochroleuca Ceterach officinarum Sedum boloniense Cicerbita alpina Erysimum humile Stellaria graminea Verbascum spec. 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 spec. Aremonia agrimonoides Polystichum lonchitis Achillea spec. Origanum vulgare Lotus corniculatus Heracleum sphondylium Gentiana verna Luzula luzuloides Silene spec. Sedum maximum Aquilegia dinarica Moltkia petraea Asphodelus albus Asplenium ruta-muraria Asplenium adiantum-nigrum Amphoricarpos neumayerianus Ornithogalum umbellatum Epilobium angustifolium Biscutella cichorifolia
(From approx. 50 vegetation recordings in Orjen)

Development and Succession

The white fir forest described occurs on layered stairs predominantly in pure forests or together with sycamore maple , more often also the tree hazel . Common beech is mostly absent, but always occurs on adjacent areas. Less developed rocky sites reveal flowing transitions to the fir-beech forest. The azonal permanent society settles in the karst area on crevice-deep soils, steep, coarse-block soils and layered stairs (mild to tangel humus), which favor pioneer species. Under the moss and dwarf shrub cover, the roots of the conifers reach the crevices that are slowly filled with humus. In the advanced, closed phase, the humus coverings are mineralized so that the plexuses are exposed. Beech rejuvenation only occurs with advanced soil and vegetation development (mull to mildew) in the canopy of fir trees, whereby hollows due to long snow and cold air flowing into the hollow block heaps excrete for the beech. Coarse-block steep slopes inhibit the development of the beech, while the fir is protected against snow thrust and is less endangered by snow mold (Herpotrichia nigra). The growth of the silver fir is usually stocky and twiggy.

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• P. Cikovac: Sociology and local distribution of fir forests in the Orjen Mountains - Montenegro . Diploma thesis at the LMU, Department of Geography. Munich 2002. (academia.edu)
• P. Cikovac: Distribution and ecology of dinaric calcareous fir forests in the high-karst zone. In: Future with forest. Belgrade 2010, pp. 55-56. ( pdf ( Memento from January 15, 2017 in the Internet Archive ))