Združba bukve in platanolistne zlatice je conalna gozdna združba zgornjega dela gorskega pasu. V praksi uporabljamo ime bukovi gozdovi zgornjega gorskega pasu. Ti gozdovi naseljujejo zgornji del gorskega pasu (t.i. altimontanski pas) od 900 do 1400 metrov. Poraščajo najrazličnejše reliefne oblike: najpogosteje srednje strma pobočja, ki mestoma prehajajo v zakrasele planote oziroma v kamnite vrhove. Ti gozdovi uspevajo na najrazličnejših karbonatnih matičnih podlagah, od skoraj čistih apnencev do dolomitnih apnencev in dolomitov. Tako imamo pod njimi najrazličnejše talne oblike, od rendzin do rjavih rendzin rjavih pokarbonatnih tal, do izpranih rjavih pokarbonatnih tal. Rastišča teh gozdov so izredno namočena, saj pade na dinarskem območju tudi do 3000 mm padavin letno. Povprečna letna temperatura je od 4,5 do 6 ^oC. Vegetacijsko obdobje traja okoli 5 mesecev.

Diagnostična kombinacija rastlinskih vrst
Drevesna plast: bukev (Fagus sylvatica), beli javor (Acer pseudoplatanus), navadna smreka (Picea abies), bela jelka (Abies alba).
Grmovna plast: Daphne mezereun, Lonicera alpigena, Rubus idaeus, Rosa pendulina.
Zeliščna plast: Adenostyles alliariae, A. glabra, Anemone nemorosa, Aposeris foetida, Aremonia agrimonoides, Athyrium filix-femina, Calamintha grandiflora, Cardamine trifolia, Cyclamen purpurascens, Dentaria bulbifera, D. enneaphyllos, Dryopteris filix-mas, Galium odoratum, Luzula sylvatica, Mercurialis perennis, Mycelis muralis, Oxalis acetosella, Paris quadrifolia, Polygonatum verticillatum, Polystichum aculeatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Ranunculus lanuginosus, Ranunculus platanifolius, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Senecio ovatus, Symphytum tuberosum, Veratrum album, Veronica urticifolia, Vicia oroboides.

Biocenotska zgradba bukovih gozdov zgornjega gorskega pasu je stabilna. Večina gozdov se tudi po večjih golosekih obnavlja predvsem preko bukve. Le na največjih nadmorskih višinah je pionirska vrsta pri zaraščanju pašniških površin smreka, mestoma tudi macesen.

Prevladujejo enomerni oziroma enodobni sestoji različnih starosti, največ je drogovnjakov, ki preraščajo v debeljake. Na splošno je veliko kakovostnih gospodarsko pomembnih gozdov; na področjih, kjer mejijo na visokogorske pašnike, pa so pogosto degradirani v panjevce.

Združbo bukve in platanolistne zlatice uvrščamo v zvezo Aremonio-Fagion.

The Ranunculo platanifoliae–Fagetum is a zonal forest association of the upper part of the mountain belt. The name “altimontane beech forest” is usually applied. These forests cover altimontane areas at an altitude of 900 to 1,400 meters. They grow on various diverse land configurations, most frequently on medium steep slopes that change into karst plateaus or stony tops in places. These forests thrive on very different carbonate parent material ranging from pure limestone to dolomite limestone and dolomite. Beneath these forests there are therefore very different soil types ranging from rendzic Leptosols to brown rendzic Leptosols and chromic Cambisol to chromic Luvisol. The sites of these forests are extraordinarily wet since the annual precipitation amounts to 3,000 mm in the Dinaric region. The average annual temperature ranges from 4.5° C to 6° C, and the vegetation period lasts around five months.

Diagnostic combination of plant species
Tree layer: Fagus sylvatica, Acer pseudoplatanus, Picea abies, Abies alba.
Shrub layer: Daphne mezereun, Lonicera alpigena, Rubus idaeus, Rosa pendulina.
Herb layer: Adenostyles alliariae, A. glabra, Anemone nemorosa, Aposeris foetida, Aremonia agrimonoides, Athyrium filix-femina, Calamintha grandiflora, Cardamine trifolia, Cyclamen purpurascens, Dentaria bulbifera, D. enneaphyllos, Dryopteris filix–mas, Galium odoratum, Luzula sylvatica, Mercurialis perennis, Mycelis muralis, Oxalis acetosella, Paris quadrifolia, Polygonatum verticillatum, Polystichum aculeatum, Prenanthes purpurea, Ranunculus lanuginosus, Ranunculus platanifolius, Saxifraga rotundifolia, Senecio ovatus, Symphytum tuberosum, Veratrum album, Veronica urticifolia, Vicia oroboides.

The biocenotic structure of altimontane beech forests is stable. Most forests regenerate through beech after considerable clearcuttings. Only at the highest altitudes does the reforestation of meadows proceed through pioneer species, mostly spruce (Picea abies) and larch (Larix decidua) in places.

Predominantly, there are even-aged stands or stands of even height of different ages. Most are pole stands growing into stands of mature trees. Generally speaking, there are many high quality forests of economic importance, although in areas bordering on high mountain meadows there are frequently degraded coppiced forests.

The Ranunculo platanifoliae–Fagetum is classified in the alliance Aremonio–Fagion.

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Marinček L. 1987: Bukovi gozdovi na Slovenskem. Delavska enotnost, Ljubljana. 153 s.
Marinček L. 1998: Hochmontane Buchenwälder Illyriens. Annales 13: 103–108.