Helleno-Balkanic riparian plane forests
Quick facts
EUNIS habitat type | code G1.381 |
---|---|
Bern Convention | Included in a Resolution 4 habitat type at a higher level (G1.3) |
Description (English)
Platanus orientalis gallery forests of Greek and southern Balkanic watercourses, temporary rivers and gorges; they are distributed throughout the mainland of Greece and its archipelagoes, extending north to Albania, the southern F.Y.R. of Macedonia and the valleys of southern Bulgaria, colonizing poorly stabilised alluvions of large rivers, gravel or boulder deposits of permanent or temporary torrents, spring basins, and particularly, the bottom of steep, shady gorges, where they constitute species-rich communities. The accompanying flora may include Salix alba, Salix elaeagnos, Salix purpurea, Alnus glutinosa, Cercis siliquastrum, Celtis australis, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Juglans regia, Fraxinus ornus, Alnus glutinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Cornus sanguinea, Ruscus aculeatus, Vitex agnus-castus, Nerium oleander, Rubus spp., Rosa sempervirens, Hedera helix, Clematis vitalba, Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris, Ranunculus ficaria, Anemone blanda, Aristolochia rotunda, Saponaria officinalis, Symphytum bulbosum, Hypericum hircinum, Calamintha grandiflora, Melissa officinalis, Helleborus cyclophyllus, Cyclamen hederifolium, Cyclamen repandum, Cyclamen creticum, Galanthus nivalis ssp. reginae-olgae, Dracunculus vulgaris, Arum italicum, Biarum tenuifolium, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata and may be rich in mosses, lichens and ferns, among which Pteridium aquilinum is often abundant. Various associations have been described, reflecting regional and ecological variation in the composition of the undergrowth. The plane tree galleries are particularly well represented along the Ionian coast and in the Pindus; other important local complexes exist in Macedonia, in Thrace, around the Olympus massif, in the Pelion, in the Peloponnese, particularly in the Taygetos, where luxuriant gorge forests reach 1300 metres, in Euboea and in Crete; local, distinctive, representatives occur in other Aegean islands, such as Rhodes, Samos, Samothrace, Thasos. Restriction to gorges is increasingly pronounced towards the south.
Source: EUNIS habitat classification
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableSpecies mentioned in habitat description
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Pteridium aquilinum | Ferns | |
Alnus glutinosa | Flowering Plants | |
Aristolochia rotunda | Flowering Plants | |
Arum italicum | Flowering Plants | |
Biarum tenuifolium | Flowering Plants | |
Brachypodium sylvaticum | Flowering Plants | |
Calamintha grandiflora | Flowering Plants | |
Celtis australis | Flowering Plants | |
Cercis siliquastrum | Flowering Plants | |
Clematis vitalba | Flowering Plants | |
Cornus sanguinea | Flowering Plants | |
Crataegus monogyna | Flowering Plants | |
Cyclamen creticum | Flowering Plants | |
Cyclamen hederifolium | Flowering Plants | |
Cyclamen repandum | Flowering Plants | |
Dactylis glomerata | Flowering Plants | |
Dracunculus vulgaris | Flowering Plants | |
Fraxinus ornus | Flowering Plants | |
Hedera helix | Flowering Plants | |
Hypericum hircinum | Flowering Plants | |
Juglans regia | Flowering Plants | |
Melissa officinalis | Flowering Plants | |
Nerium oleander | Flowering Plants | |
Platanus orientalis | Flowering Plants | |
Populus alba | Flowering Plants | |
Populus nigra | Flowering Plants | |
Ranunculus ficaria | Flowering Plants | |
Rosa sempervirens | Flowering Plants | |
Ruscus aculeatus | Flowering Plants | |
Salix alba | Flowering Plants | |
Salix elaeagnos | Flowering Plants | |
Salix purpurea | Flowering Plants | |
Saponaria officinalis | Flowering Plants | |
Vitex agnus-castus | Flowering Plants |
Other classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
Palaearctic Habitat Classification 200112 | 44.711 | Helleno-Balkanic riparian plane forests | source |
History
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200410 | G1.381 | Helleno-Balkanic riparian plane forests | same |
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200308 | G1.381 | Helleno-Balkanic riparian plane forests | same |