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Phytocoenoses of common spruce (Picea abies Karst.) in the subalpine belt of Croatia

Phytocoenoses of common spruce in the subalpine belt of Croatia are predominantly developed on the carbonate parent material of Risnjak, Velika Kapela and Northern Velebit, at altitudes above 1, 200 m. They are decisively impacted by edaphic and local micro-climatic factors which favour spruce in relation to much better represented climatozonal subalpine beech forests. The Croatian Dinaric mountain range is relatively low. Here, the spruce does not build a vegetation belt, nor does it form large complexes of coherent stands. An important feature of spruce forests growing on the Croatian Dinaric range is that, floristically, they differ from the rest of the Dinaric area in the southeast of Europe. Moreover, the mountain massifs of Gorski Kotar and Velebit also differ from one another. Going from the northwest towards the southeast of the Dinaric range, the participation of alpine-boreal and central European species is decreasing or these species are even disappearing, while Illyrian and Balkan species are gradually making their presence or are increasing in number (Zupančić 1980, 1999, Vukelić et al. 2010a, 2010b). The article describes three associations, which are compared with one another and with other related Dinaric spruce communities (Acceto 2006, Zupančič 1980, 1999, Fukarek 1964, Stefanović 1970). Spruce subalpine forests of western Croatia (Risnjak, a part of Velika Kapela) are to a large extent similar to spruce forests in the Dinaric part of Slovenia. Due to the larger share of “spruce-picetal” species, they have already been described within the association Lonicero caeruleae-Piceetum Zupančič (1976) 1999. The other two associations are distributed mainly on northern Velebit. The association Hyperico grisebachii-Piceetum (Bertović 1975) Vukelić et al. 2010 extends for the most part at altitudes above 1, 400 m and often occupies impassable, distinctly rocky tops and upper steep, stony and exposed slopes. Therefore, its differential species are also characterized by subalpine rocky sites of open canopies. The association Laserpitio krapfii-Piceetum abietis Vukelić, Alegro et Šegota 2010 is developed as the terminal stage of the altimontane and subalpine belt. It inhabits rocky, northern, cold and shady slopes between 1, 100 and 1, 500 m. It differs from other spruce phytocoenoses by lesser participation of species of the class Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1939 em Zupančič 1976 and lower units ; however, it is richer with species from zonal subalpine spruce forests (order Fagetalia Pawl. 1928) and high vegetation (order Adenostyletalia G. et J. Br.-Bl. 1931).

Picea abies; subalpine belt; Croatia

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