Združba črnega gabra in puhastega hrasta je termofilno-kserofilna združba, ki je ekstraconalno razširjena v osrednjem delu Slovenije. Porašča strma, skalnata južna pobočja in grebene od nižine do 1000 m. Uspeva le na karbonatni podlagi. To so rastišča številnih termofilnih rastlinskih vrst, ki imajo sklenjen areal v submediteranskem območju, v notranjosti pa uspevajo na posamičnih rastiščih kot relikti iz toplejših obdobij holocena. Uspevajo na prisojnih pobočjih in plitvih rendzinah, koder vlada sušna mikroklima z zelo izrazitimi temperaturnimi ekstremi, kar otežuje ali celo onemogoča uspevanje mezofilnih rastlinskih vrst.

Diagnostična kombinacija rastlinskih vrst
Drevesna plast: puhasti hrast (Quercus pubescens), črni gaber (Ostrya carpinifolia), mokovec (Sorbus aria), mali jesen (Fraxinus ornus), cer (Quercus cerris), drobnica (Pyrus pyraster), maklen (Acer campestre), graden (Quercus petraea).
Grmovna plast: Chamaecytisus hirsutus, Cornus mas, C. sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus catharcticus.
Zeliščna plast: Anthericum ramosum, Buglossoides purpurocaerulea, Buphthamum salicifolium, Carex flacca, Clinopodium vulgare, Convallaria majalis, Dactylis glomerata, Dorycnium germanicum, Festuca heterophylla, Galium laevigatum, Geranium sanguineum, Lathyrus niger, Melittis melissopyllum, Peucedanum cervaria, P. oreoselinum, Polygonatum odoratum, Primula vulgaris, Sedum maximum, Serratula tinctoria, Silene italica, Stachys recta, Tamus communis, Tanacetum corymbosum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Trifolium rubens, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Viola hirta.

Združba po svoji fiziognomiji precej spominja na kraške gozdiče in grmišča, saj ima značaj visokega grmišča, kajti drevesne vrste dosegajo le 4 do 6 m višine, so tankih debel in pretežno panjaste razrasti. Grmovni in zeliščni sloj sta bujno razvita in bogata z vrstami.

Ti gozdovi imajo skromno gospodarsko vrednost, saj je les večinoma uporaben predvsem za kurjavo. Večja pa je njihova varovalna vloga na strmih karbonatnih tleh.

Združbo črnega gabra in puhastega hrasta uvrščamo v zvezo Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis.

The Querco–Ostryetum carpinifoliae is a thermophilous and xerophilous extrazonal association with its distribution in the central part of Slovenia. It grows on steep, rocky southern slopes and crests from lowlands to a height of 1,000 meters. It thrives only on carbonate bedrock. The association represents the sites of numerous thermophilous plant species that have a closed areal in the submediterranean area while in the interior they grow on individual sites as relicts of warmer periods of the Holocene. They thrive on the sunny side of slopes in shallow rendzic Leptosols where a dry microclimate with pronounced temperature extremes prevails that hinders the growth or even renders impossible the thriving of mezzophilous plant species.

Diagnostic combination of plant species
Tree layer: Quercus pubescens, Ostrya carpinifolia, Sorbus aria, Fraxinus ornus, Quercus cerris, Pyrus pyraster, Acer campestre, Quercus petraea.
Shrub layer: Chamaecytisus hirsutus, Cornus mas, C. sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Prunus spinosa, Rhamnus catharcticus.
Herb layer: Anthericum ramosum, Buglossoides purpurocaerulea, Buphthamum salicifolium, Carex flacca, Clinopodium vulgare, Convallaria majalis, Dactylis glomerata, Dorycnium germanicum, Festuca heterophylla, Galium laevigatum, Geranium sanguineum, Lathyrus niger, Melittis melissopyllum, Peucedanum cervaria, P. oreoselinum, Polygonatum odoratum, Primula vulgaris, Sedum maximum, Serratula tinctoria, Silene italica, Stachys recta, Tamus communis, Tanacetum corymbosum, Teucrium chamaedrys, Trifolium rubens, Vincetoxicum hirundinaria, Viola hirta.

The association is reminiscent of karst forests and shrubs with regard to its physiognomy as it is characterized by high shrubs since the tree species only reach 4 to 6 meters. They have thin trunks and grow predominantly as coppice trees. The shrub and herb layers are lushly developed and rich in species.

These forests are of minor economic importance since the wood is mostly used for fuel. They play a more important protective role on steep calcareous soil.

The Querco–Ostryetum carpinifoliae is classified in the alliance Ostryo–Carpinion orientalis.

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Horvat I. 1938: Biljnosociološka istraživanja šuma u Hrvatskoj. Glasnik za šumske pokuse 6: 127–279.
Horvat I., V. Glavač & H. Ellenberg 1974: Vegetation Südosteuropas. Geobotanica selecta 4, 767 s.
Petauer T., A. Martinčič, F. Batič & D. Vrhovšek 1977: Termofilna reliktna združba puhastega hrasta in gabrovca (Querco-Ostryetum Horv.) na Šmarni gori in njena ekologija. Varstvo narave 10: 45–56.