Phytosociology and ecology of the dinaric fir-beech forests (Omphalodofagetum) at the North-Western part of the Illyrian Floral Province (NW dinaric alps)

Abstract

We studied the phytosociology, ecology and biogeography of the Dinaric fir-beech stands (Omphalodo-Fagetum) in the Trnovski gozd plateau, at the north-western part of the Illyrian floral province. We identified and confirmed two geographical variants (var. geogr. Saxifraga cuneifolia - central and western part of the plateau, and var. geogr. Calamintha grandiflora - eastern part of the plateau), and 10 floristically and ecologically well differentiated subassociations (-rhododendretosum hirsuti,-saxifragetosum cuneifoliae, -adenostyletosum glabrae, -festucetosum altissimae, -calamagrostietosum arundinaceae, -stellarietosum montanae, -seslerietosum autumnalis, -calamagrostietosum variae, -sambucetosum nigrae and -asaretosum europei). The most frequent stands bellong to the subassociation -festucetosum altissimae and -calamagrostietosum arundinaceae, which, in terms of site ecology and floristic composition, represent the central forest types in the research area. They are floristically impoverished and lack majority of association's characteristic species which is in line with the biogeographic peculiarites of the research area.