Forests with Greek maple (Acer heldreichii Orph. ex Boiss.) on Mt. Golija (Serbia)

Abstract

Greek maple (Acer heldereichii Orph. ex Boiss.) is an endemorelic species confined to the mountains of the central Balkan Peninsula, where it can be found in various forest communities. Its optimal habitat is in the subalpine zone, where, together with beech, it constitutes the forest community Aceri heldreichii–Fagetum Jovanović 1957. In addition, it is a member of diverse mixed broadleaf – coniferous forest communities, mainly predominated by beech and fir, beech, fir and spruce, and spruce, Scots pine and Balkan pine. Rarely, it is also a member of spruce and gray alder communities found along streams and rivers; however, this represents the ecological limits of its distribution and Greek maples can only be found in the shrub layer. Forests containing A. heldereichii on Mt. Golija are most developed in refugial habitats between Jankov kamen and Golijska reka, at an altitude from 1400 to 1750 m. A great number of communities are present here, including forests of spruce and grey alder (Piceo–Alnetum incanae Jovanović et Gajić 1972), beech – spruce forests (Aceri heldreichii–Fagetum Jovanović 1957), subalpine beech forests (Aceri heldreichii–Fagetum Janković et Stevanović 1983), beech – spruce forests (Piceo–Fagetum aceretosum heldreichii Gajić 1989) and spruce forests (Aceri heldreichii–Piceetum abietis Mišić et Panić 1990).