Alliance FG03A (SAC-03A)
Armerio rumelicae-Potentillion Micevski 1978
South-Central Balkan supratemperate submediterranean silicicolous perennial grasslands
Substrate reaction
Substrate reaction expresses soil pH and the content of calcium and other basic cations in the soil or water.
- Acidic substrate has a low pH (usually between 3 and 6) and a low base content
- Slightly acidic to near-neutral substrate has a pH usually between 6 and 7 and moderate base content
- Alkaline substrate has a high pH (above 7) and a high content of calcium or other basic cations
Categories
- Acidic
- Slightly acidic to near-neutral
- Alkaline
Data source and citation
Preislerová, Z. (2022). Substrate reaction. – www.FloraVeg.EU.
Elevational vegetation belt
The elevational vegetation belts reflect the vertical zonation of vegetation in relation to changes in climatic conditions. In the Arctic and Boreal zones, we distinguish only the Boreo-Arctic lowland and the Boreo-Arctic mountain belts, as the distinction of more belts is often unclear because in maritime and northern areas, the timberline is at low elevations, and the vegetation of the lowland Arctic tundra is very similar and often spatially connected with alpine tundra. In the Hemiboreal, Nemoral, Forest-steppe, Steppe and Submediterranean zone, we use the division into lowland, colline, submontane, montane, subalpine, alpine, and nival belts. In the Mediterranean and Macaronesian zones, we use the division into Inframediterranean, Thermomediterranean, Mesomediterranean, Supramediterranean, Oromediterranean and Cryomediterranean belts. Each elevational belt may shift up or down in a given mountain range or region, depending on local environmental conditions and historical circumstances.
Boreo-Arctic vegetation belts
- Boreo-Arctic lowland – flat landscape with a mixture of deciduous (Betula-Alnus-Acer) and coniferous (Pinus-Larix-Picea) forests or coniferous forests only in the Boreal zone; mixture of shrub vegetation (Salix spp. or Betula pubescens), heathlands (Vaccinium spp., Salix spp., Empetrum spp.), grassy tundra and creeping Salix herbacea and S. polaris snow patches or polar desert tundra in the Arctic zone
- Boreo-Arctic mountain – mountainous landscape with shrubby vegetation or open deciduous woodlands (Salix spp. or Betula pubescens), heathlands and grasslands
Temperate vegetation belts
- Lowland – flat landscape with floodplain forests along rivers and deciduous thermophilous oak forests
- Colline – hilly landscape with broad-leaved deciduous forests or Pinus forests in extreme habitats; agricultural landscape predominates
- Submontane – submontane regions with the dominance of broad-leaved deciduous trees, Pinus forests on rock outcrops, coniferous plantations and agricultural landscapes
- Montane – mountainous regions with mixed coniferous-deciduous forests, with increasing predominance of coniferous forests towards higher elevations
- Subalpine – higher elevations with open coniferous forests, krummholz, heathlands and grasslands around the timberline
- Alpine – grasslands and heathlands above the timberline
- Nival – areas above the snow line and rocky summits with scattered vegetation dominated by bryophytes and lichens
Mediterranean vegetation belts
- Inframediterranean – lowest elevations and latitudes of the Mediterranean with warm and arid climate; this belt is only developed in a small part of the Mediterranean, such as southernmost Spain and the Canary Islands.
- Thermomediterranean – a belt usually located near the coast, with a long period of summer drought, with a potential natural vegetation dominated by evergreen sclerophyllous scrub
- Mesomediterranean – a belt characterized by warm and dry summers and mild winters with almost no frost, suitable for the cultivation of the olive tree; the natural vegetation of this belt is the evergreen oak forest
- Supramediterranean – a belt at middle elevations with less pronounced summer drought and occasional winter frost; the natural vegetation of this belt is broad-leaved deciduous forest; this belt corresponds to the colline belt in the nemoral zone
- Oromediterranean – a belt below the timberline, characterized by heaths and pine and juniper forests; beech forests may occur on humid slopes; this belt corresponds to the montane and subalpine belt in the extra-Mediterranean vegetation zones
- Cryomediterranean – the highest belt of the Mediterranean mountain ranges, located above the timberline; it is characterized by natural grasslands and heathlands; this belt corresponds to the alpine belt in the extra-Mediterranean vegetation zones
Data source and citation
Preislerová, Z. (2022). Elevational vegetation belt. – www.FloraVeg.EU.
