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In SW Slovenia, at Gora under Železna Vrata and Petnik gorge near Branik – both on the northern edge of the Karst, in the collapse doline Orleška Draga at Sežana and under Brkinski Rob at the contact of the Karst and Brkini Hills, we conducted a phytosociological analysis of the stands whose tree layer is dominated by Tilia platyphyllos, T. cordata, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ulmus glabra, in places also Carpinus betulus and Ostrya carpinifolia, and classified them into three associations, Corydalido ochroleucae-Aceretum pseudoplatani, Paeonio officinalis-Tilietum platyphylli and Fraxino orni-Aceretum pseudoplatani. The latter was described as a new. Also new is a secondary large-leaved lime association Lamio orvalae-Tilietum platyphylli on the sites of montane beech forests (Lamio orvalae-Fagetum) in the Čepovan valley, at the contact of the Dinaric and sub-Mediterranean phytogeographical regions of Slovenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes two new tall herb communities in the Southeastern Alps, Centaureo julici-Laserpitietum sileris and Laserpitio sileri-Grafietum golakae. Both are long-term successional stages in the overgrowing of abandoned hay meadows in the altimontane and subalpine belt of the southern and southwestern Julian Alps (including the Julian Prealps), partly also the Carnic Alps, that have been abandoned for over 50 years. In the succession sere where the altimontane-subalpine Illyrian beech forest (Dentario pentaphylli-Fagetum, Ranunculo platanifolii-Fagetum, Polysticho lonchitis-Fagetum) is the potential natural vegetation on steep, sunny limestone (rarely dolomite) slopes, the species Laserpitium siler and (or) Grafia golaka act as inhibitors also due to their high allelopathic potential; in turn, spontaneous afforestation with spruce and some deciduous trees has been slow and gradual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]