Classification of pine (Pinus brutia var. pityusa) forests of Colchis

N. B. Ermakov, Yu. V. Plugatar, V. D. Leiba, E. Z. Bganba, N. A. Trusheva, M. A. Polyakova, E. V. Ermakova

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31111/vegrus/2024.49.75

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The classification of pine (Pinus brutia var. pityusa) forests of the Colchis (Western Caucasus) is based on quantitative analysis (Ward’s method, Euclidian distance) of 22 relevés and comparative syntaxonomic analysis. Two associations — Seselo rupicolae–Pinetum brutiae Ermakov et Leiba ass. nov. and Vinco majoris–Pinetum brutiae Ermakov et Leiba ass. nov., and non-rank community Crataegus microphylla–Pinus brutia var. pityusa were described. The ass. Seselo rupicolae–Pinetum brutiae represents rare natural pine forests preserved only on the calcareous steep (12–60°) southern slope of the Gagrskiy mountain ridge in the Kholodnaya River basin at altitudes of 50–260 m. Diagnostic species are Campanula alliariifolia, Campanula longistyla, Galium mollugo, Genista abchasica, Laser trilobum, Muscari neglectum, Tanacetum corymbosum, Rhus coriaria, Seseli rupicola, Sesleria alba, Stachys atherocalyx, Teucrium chamaedrys, Thalictrum minus, Tragopogon graminifolius. The ass. Vinco majoris–Pinetum brutiae occupies only sandy-gravel see terrace near Pitsunda town at altitudes of 2–6 m. Diagnostic species are Carex divulsa, Corylus avellana, Cardamine quinquefolia, Potentilla indica, Festuca drymeja, Galium aparine, Geranium robertianum, Geum urbanum, Hedera colchica, Prunus laurocerasus, Ligustrum vulgare, Luzula forsteri, Crataegus germanica, Poa nemoralis, Polypodium cambricum, Ulmus glabra, Vinca major subsp. hirsuta, Viola reichenbachiana, Vitis sylvestris. The non-rank community Crataegus microphylla–Pinus brutia var. pityusa includes almost disappeared mesophilous pine forests occasionally occurring on pediments of gentle shaded mountain slopes of the Gagrskiy ridge, near narrow river valleys at altitudes of 90–130 m. All described syntaxa in the Colchis province were included in the Campanulo longistylae–Pinion brutiae Litvinskaya et Postarnak ex Ermakov et Ermakova 2023, the order Pinetalia pallasianae-kochianae Korzhenevsky 1998. The results of comparative syntaxonomic analysis of all Pinus brutia var. pityusa forests of the Western Caucasus and Crimea demonstrated two ecological and phytosociological groups. Pine (Pinus brutia var. pityusa) forests of the humid Colchis province were included into the class Erico-Pinetea Horvat 1959 because of absolute predominance of moderately mesophilous sub-Mediterranean and European species. Pine forests of more arid province of North-Western Caucasus and Crimea were attributed to the alliance Jasmino fruticantis–Juniperion excelsae Didukh, Vakarenko et Shelyag-Sosonko ex Bonari et al. 2021, order Berberido creticae–Juniperetalia excelsae Mucina in Mucina et al. 2016 and class Junipero–Pinetea sylvestris Rivas-Mart. 1965 because of predominance of hemi-xerophilous sub-Mediterranean species.

Key words: pine forests, classification, Braun-Blanquet, Pinus brutia, Colchis, Caucasus

Section: Articles

How to cite

Ermakov N. B., Plugatar Yu. V., Leiba V. D., Bganba E. Z., Trusheva N. A., Polyakova M. A., Ermakova E. V. 2024. Classification of pine (Pinus brutia var. pityusa) forests of Colchis // Vegetation of Russia. 49: 75–87. https://doi.org/10.31111/vegrus/2024.49.75

Received March 20 2024. Signed for printing August 16 2024.

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