10.14471/2021.41.012
Novák, Pavel
Pavel
Novák
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3758-5757
Masaryk University
Stupar, Vladimir
Vladimir
Stupar
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0835-2249
University of Banja Luka
Kalníková, Veronika
Veronika
Kalníková
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2361-0816
Masaryk University
Carpinus orientalis forests in Georgian Colchis: First insights
Carpinus orientalis-Wälder in der georgischen Kolchis: Erste Einblicke
Floristisch-soziologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e. V. (FlorSoz)
2021
Journal Article
FOS: Biological sciences
biogeography
Carpinus orientalis
Caucasus
Colchis
forest vegetation
Euxinia
2021-08-10
2021-03-30
en
2748-3452
PDF
CC-BY-NC-ND-3.0-DE
Colchis (Caucasus Ecoregion, Euxinian Province) is a region with unique Tertiary relict biota and
high species and vegetation diversity. However, its vegetation has been only little studied by Braun-
Blanquet methods so far. Based on original field data (20 phytosociological relevés), we describe
a novel vegetation type of calciphilous and thermophilous Carpinus orientalis forests in western Geor-
gia (Campanulo alliariifoliae-Carpinetum orientalis ass. nova). This species-rich community inhabits
sunny limestone slopes and is developed under a humid warm-temperate climate. We present the com-
munity in the context of relevés from the literature (n = 105 in total) of Carpinus orientalis dominated
or co-dominated forests across the whole Euxinian Province (southern Black Sea coast). Ordination and
unsupervised classification analyses revealed the main pattern in their species composition closely
linked to biogeography backed up by macroclimatic gradients and vegetation history. Eastwards, Bal-
kan and Mediterranean species decrease gradually, while Euxinian and Euxino-Caucasian species are
more frequent. Although the analysed forest communities were highly variable in species composition,
they all shared a subset of submediterranean and Euxinian species. Numerous Eastern Euxinian and
Euxino-Caucasian endemics (e.g. Campanula alliariifolia, Klasea quinquefolia) are characteristic of the
community recorded in Georgia. These are accompanied by evergreen species (e.g. Smilax excelsa,
Vinca major subsp. hirsuta) and common forest mesophytes (e.g. Campanula rapunculoides, Carex
digitata) both indicating a relatively mild and precipitation-rich climate. The association Erico-
Carpinetum described in NE Turkey was identified as the most similar unit to the new community. As
it is the type association of the alliance Castaneo sativae-Carpinion orientalis, we adopted this assign-
ment for the new association from Georgia.
Georgia