To this area belongs above all the zone of deciduous vegetation which is within this province from the continental side as well as in the northern parts of the Kvarner islands a direct continuation of the evergreen zone of euro-mediterranean littoral. In the climatic aspect compared to the euro-mediterranean zone this zone has relatively low temperatures during the winter and a notably greater amount of precipitation in the spring, winter and autumn. Due to this fact in that area, there are neither severe nor longer periods of draughts or heat, and relatively cold winters cause the break of the vegetation, that is, its deciduous habit.
The Mediterranean-montane belt of deciduous vegetation in this area is characterised by an even colder and relatively more humid climate and is situated in higher areas as the horizontal continuation of the latter .
For the lower, submediterranean zone itself it is primarily the climazonal forest association Querco-Carpinion orientalis illyricum that is significant and which, within the termophyllous oak forests of the Quercetalia pubescentis order belongs to the Ostryo-Carpinion alliance. This community is almost nowhere in its full form as a forest but is, mostly because of man's activities more or less degraded. Therefore, we can find the Querco-Carpinetum orientalis illyricum in many vast areas of our submediterranean littoral only in the form of bigger or smaller and thicker or thinner shrublands or underwood. By further degradation dry grasslands and rocky pastures are being formed. The latter have the character of anthropogenous permanent forms, and from the phytocoenological point of view they belong to various communities of illyrian-submediterranean order Scotzonero-Chrysopogonetalia.
Within the Querco-Carpinetum orientalis illyricum association, somewhere on deeper soil in the form of smaller or bigger enclaves, we can find the shrubland vegetation of Quercus farnetto.
The climazonal forest community of the higher, Mediterranean-montane region is represented by the Seslerio-Ostryetum association which is related to the Querco-Carpinetum orientalis illyricum and together with it belongs to the Ostryo-Carpinion orientalis alliance.
In even higher areas we can find beech forests, Fagetum croaticum seslerietosum, as a continuation of the Seslerio-Ostryetum community in the Mediterranean-montane area. The Seslerio-Ostryetum community can also be found in the form of underwood or shrubs. Due to degradation, these forms have in huge, vast areas turned into specific permanent forms which have the characteristics of dry grassland or rocky pastures. From the phytocoenological point of view they belong mostly to various Mediterranean-montane communities of illyrian-submediterranean order Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia.
In addition to all these elementary vegetation units in the Mediterranean-montane area one can find many other, mostly endemic vegetable communities, that are confined to various habitats on which due to, for instance, geomorphologic or edaphic conditions, exposure to constant flooding etc. climazonal vegetation with appropriate degradation stadiums cannot develop or which are, like for instance, agricultural superficies , under constant and intensive influence of man.
