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Ecology and vegetation types of oak-hornbeam and ravine forests of the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Georgia.
- Source :
-
Folia Geobotanica . Dec2020, Vol. 55 Issue 4, p333-349. 17p. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- The Caucasus harbours unique forest vegetation so far only little studied using the Braun-Blanquet approach. This study is mostly based on a dataset (N = 110) of original phytosociological relevés of oak-hornbeam and ravine forests in the Eastern Greater Caucasus, Georgia. Their unsupervised classification produced seven communities. Five belong to oak-hornbeam forests (order Lathyro-Carpinetalia caucasicae). Of the zonal Caucasian alliance Crataego-Carpinion, the association Corno australis-Carpinetum inhabits valleys of the Greater Caucasus, and Clinopodio umbrosi-Carpinetum is confined to the warm Eastern Greater Caucasus promontories. The association Astrantio maximae-Carpinetum of the alliance Astrantio-Carpinion represents distinctive Caucasian montaneoak-hornbeam forests. The other two communities, documented by a few relevés, were described at the community level only. Within ravine forests (order Aceretalia pseudoplatani), we introduce a new Caucasian alliance Pachyphragmo macrophyllae-Tilion begoniifoliae with two associations. Valeriano tiliifoliae-Ulmetum glabrae comprises Caucasian montane ravine forests whereas Hedero pastuchovii-Aceretum velutini inhabits the foothills of the Eastern Greater Caucasian. To provide a broader context of the recognized communities, an expanded dataset (N = 231) of original relevés and previously published relevés of Georgian deciduous forests was analysed. It indicated a major turnover in species composition following biogeographical patterns presumably driven by macroclimate and vegetation history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *DECIDUOUS forests
*MOUNTAIN forests
*FOREST plants
*OAK
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 12119520
- Volume :
- 55
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Folia Geobotanica
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 149788835
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-020-09386-0