Part I

Draft Black Sea Regional Transmission Project ESIA
representing by Picea orientalis and Abies nordmanniana mixed with beech. Almost virgin
dark coniferous forest occurs in Abastumani along the road to the observatory.
Pine forests (Pinus kochiana) are usually developed on southern slopes of Meskheti, Adjara-
Imereti and Trialeti ranges (Khintibidze, 1990). Pine forest has more limited distribution than
spruce forests, although, pine frequently occurs in spruce forests on the northern slopes
(Khintibidze, 1990). Pine forests on Erusheti and Tetrobi-Chobareti ranges (1800-2000
meters above sea level) have little distinguished composition.
Mountain steppes are peculiar to South Georgia, and cover the Javakheti volcanic plateau.
Steppe vegetation is represented by different plant communities. Most characteristic species
of polydominant grass-forb steppes are: Festuca ovina, F. sulcata, Stipa tirsa, S.
pulcherrima, Bothriochloa ischaemum, Filipendula vulgaris, Falcaria vulgaris, Cruciata
laevipes, Koeleria cristata, Medicago hemicycla, Phleum phleoides, Polygala anatolica,
Thymus caucasicus, etc.
There are also secondary meadows, principally on sites once occupied by primary forests.
Like previous communities, these meadows are composed by the variants of polydominant
grass-forb vegetation with participation of Agrostis planifolia, Alchemilla erythropoda,
Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis variegata, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Centaurea
salicifolia, Dactylis glomerata, Lotus caucasicus, Trifolium ambiguum, T. canescens, etc.
From monodominant meadows can be mentioned communities with such dominant species
as Nardus stricta (dzigviani in Georgian), Anemone fasciculata (frintiani), Agrostis planifolia
(namikrefiani), Brachypodium sylvaticum (berseliani), Bromopsis variegata (shvrieliani), etc.
(Kvachakidze, 1996).
Subalpine Vegetation. The zubalpine zone is represented by krummholz, subalpine
shrublands, tall herbaceous vegetation and polydominant subalpine meadows. Subalpine
krummholz is represented by Betula litwinowii and B. pendula, Acer trautvetteri, Sorbus
caucasigena, Salix caprea etc. Shrubland is composed of Caucasian Rhododendron -
Rhododendron caucasicum, Vaccinium myrtillus, Empetrum caucasicum etc. Subalpine
birch and maple forests are found on the northern slopes while pine forests are developed
on the southern slopes at about 1800 to 1900 meters above sea level
Only minor fragments of the former Javakheti subalpine forests survive, mostly on northern
slopes of the high mountainous areas. These fragments are formed by species typical for the
Caucasian subalpine forests, including Litvinov's birch (Betula litwinowii), mountain ash
(Sorbus caucasigena), goat willow (Salix caprea), Bieberstein's rock currant (Ribes
biebersteinii), alpine currant (Ribes alpinum), and in some areas European aspen (Populus
tremula) and others. Litvinov's birch and mountain ash form communities that cover areas of
rocky relief.
Tall herbaceous vegetation is composed of 3-4 meter-high herbs, mainly dicots
(Nakhutsrishvili, 1999). Typical species forming subalpine tall herbaceous vegetation are as
follows: Anemone fasciculata, Geranium ibericum, G. platypetalum, G. psilostemon, G.
ruprechtii, Scabiosa caucasica, Senecio rhombifolius, Stachys macrantha, Campunala
latifolia, Cephalaria gigantea, Doronicum macrophyllum, Aconitum nasutum, Gadellia
lactiflora, Delphinium flexuosum, Heracleum wilhelmsii, Grossheimia macrocephala, Lilium
szovitsianum, etc.
Subalpine grass and grass forb meadows are found in the subalpine forest complexes.
Grass meadows are formed by Festuca ovina, F. woronowii, Bromopsis variegata,
Calamagrostis arundinacea. These species form coenoses both independently and in codominance.
The subalpine meadows occur above the subalpine forest zone, at the altitudes
of 2100 to 2200 meters above sea level
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