<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Žumberak and Samobor highlands are situated in the north-western part of Croatia where the characteristics of the Dinarides, the Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet. The greater part of the area is occupied by beech forests. The aim of the study was to determine the syntaxonomic affiliation of these forest communities, and to explore their floristic and main ecological features. Numerical analyses of floristic compositions were conducted on a data-set consisting of 144 new relevés and 99 relevés from the existing literature. Relevés were made following the standard Braun-Blanquet method. For descriptions of ecological conditions Ellenberg’s indicator values were used. Six plant associations and two subassociations of beech forests were established in <italic>Luzulo</italic>-<italic>Fagion</italic> and <italic>Aremonio</italic>-<italic>Fagion</italic> alliances. The higher altitudes of the studied area are occupied by ass. <italic>Cardamini savensi</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic>, whereas the lower altitudes are occupied by ass. <italic>Lamio orvalae</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic> and <italic>Hacquetio</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic>. Ass. <italic>Hacquetio</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic> spreads on southern slopes and ridges, whereas ass. <italic>Lamio orvalae</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic> occurs in ditches and on northern slopes. In the warmer habitats with shallow soils on a dolomite base ass. <italic>Ostryo</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic> occurred. A small part of the area is characterized by silicate substrate which is occupied by ass. <italic>Luzulo</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic> and <italic>Gentiano asclepiadeae</italic>-<italic>Fagetum</italic>.</p></abstract>

The Žumberak and Samobor highlands are situated in the north-western part of Croatia where the characteristics of the Dinarides, the Alps and the Pannonian Plain meet. The greater part of the area is occupied by beech forests. The aim of the study was to determine the syntaxonomic affiliation of these forest communities, and to explore their floristic and main ecological features. Numerical analyses of floristic compositions were conducted on a data-set consisting of 144 new relevés and 99 relevés from the existing literature. Relevés were made following the standard Braun-Blanquet method. For descriptions of ecological conditions Ellenberg’s indicator values were used. Six plant associations and two subassociations of beech forests were established in Luzulo-Fagion and Aremonio-Fagion alliances. The higher altitudes of the studied area are occupied by ass. Cardamini savensi-Fagetum, whereas the lower altitudes are occupied by ass. Lamio orvalae-Fagetum and Hacquetio-Fagetum. Ass. Hacquetio-Fagetum spreads on southern slopes and ridges, whereas ass. Lamio orvalae-Fagetum occurs in ditches and on northern slopes. In the warmer habitats with shallow soils on a dolomite base ass. Ostryo-Fagetum occurred. A small part of the area is characterized by silicate substrate which is occupied by ass. Luzulo-Fagetum and Gentiano asclepiadeae-Fagetum.

Phytosociological analysis of beech forests in the Žumberak and Samobor highlands (Croatia)

Hacquetia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Žumberak and Samobor highlands are situated in the north-western part of Croatia where the characteristics of the Dinarides, the Alps and the Pannonian...

Phytosociological analysis of beech forests in the Žumberak and Samobor highlands (Croatia)

Published Online: Mar 01, 2021

Page range: 119 - 165

Received: Feb 08, 2020

Accepted: Mar 25, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2020-0013

Keywords
Vegetation, Relevés, Environmental gradients, Forest communities, Croatia

© 2021 Željko Škvorc et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Phytosociological analysis of beech forests in the Žumberak and Samobor highlands (Croatia)

Published Online: Mar 01, 2021

Page range: 119 - 165

Received: Feb 08, 2020

Accepted: Mar 25, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2020-0013

KeywordsVegetation, Relevés, Environmental gradients, Forest communities, Croatia

© 2021 Željko Škvorc et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Vegetation, Relevés, Environmental gradients, Forest communities, Croatia