Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests
Encyclopedia
The Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests ecoregion, in the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Biome
, is located along the southern shore of the Black Sea
. The ecoregion extends along the thin coastal strip from the southeastern corner of Bulgaria
in the west, across northern Turkey
, to Georgia
in the east, where it wraps around the eastern end of the Black Sea.
), Oriental Beech
(Fagus orientalis), and Sweet Chestnut
(Castanea sativa), together with evergreen Nordmann Fir
(Abies nordmanniana, the tallest tree in Europe at 78m), Caucasian Spruce
(Picea orientalis) and Scots Pine
(Pinus sylvestris). The Colchic region has high rainfall, averaging 1,500-2,500 mm annually, with a maximum in excess of 4,000 mm, and is home to some of Europe's temperate rain forests.
along the Black Sea coast of European Turkey to Bulgaria. The Euxine forests receive an average of 1,000 to 1,500 mm precipitation annually.
Rare habitat types include coastal sand dunes
and peatlands.
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Mixed forests are a temperate and humid biome. The typical structure of these forests includes four layers. The uppermost layer is the canopy composed of tall mature trees ranging from 33 to 66 m high. Below the canopy is the three-layered, shade-tolerant understory that is roughly 9 to...
Biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
, is located along the southern shore of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. The ecoregion extends along the thin coastal strip from the southeastern corner of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
in the west, across northern Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, to Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
in the east, where it wraps around the eastern end of the Black Sea.
Colchian forests
The Colchic or Colchian forests are found around the southeast corner of the Black Sea in Turkey and Georgia. The Colchian forests are mixed, with deciduous Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus and C. orientalisCarpinus orientalis
Carpinus orientalis is a hornbeam native from southeastern Europe to northern Iran and occurs usually on hot dry sites at lower altitudes than European Hornbeam....
), Oriental Beech
Oriental Beech
Fagus orientalis, the Oriental Beech, is a deciduous tree in the beech family Fagaceae. The natural range extends from southeast Bulgaria's Strandja mountain through northwest Turkey east to the Caucasus and Alborz Mountains of Iran. It is restricted to mountain forests, at 500-2,100 m altitude...
(Fagus orientalis), and Sweet Chestnut
Sweet Chestnut
Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...
(Castanea sativa), together with evergreen Nordmann Fir
Nordmann Fir
Nordmann Fir is a fir native to the mountains south and east of the Black Sea, in Turkey, Georgia, Russian Caucasus and northern parts of Armenia. It occurs at altitudes of 900-2,200 m on mountains with a rainfall of over 1,000 mm.It is a large evergreen coniferous tree growing to 60 m tall...
(Abies nordmanniana, the tallest tree in Europe at 78m), Caucasian Spruce
Caucasian Spruce
Picea orientalis, commonly known as the Caucasian Spruce or Oriental Spruce, is a spruce native to the Caucasus and adjacent northeast Turkey. It is a large evergreen tree growing to 30–45 m tall , and with a trunk diameter of up to 1.5 m .The shoots are buff-brown, and moderately pubescent...
(Picea orientalis) and Scots Pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...
(Pinus sylvestris). The Colchic region has high rainfall, averaging 1,500-2,500 mm annually, with a maximum in excess of 4,000 mm, and is home to some of Europe's temperate rain forests.
Euxinic forests
The drier Euxine or Euxinic forests lie west of the Melet River, and extend across the BosporusBosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
along the Black Sea coast of European Turkey to Bulgaria. The Euxine forests receive an average of 1,000 to 1,500 mm precipitation annually.
Rare habitat types include coastal sand dunes
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
and peatlands.