Some paragraphs from
Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats.
Version EUR 15. European Commission 25.4.1996. Ed. by Carlos Romao.
11 Forests
(Sub) natural woodland vegetation comprising native species forming
forests of tall trees, with typical undergrowth, and meeting the
following criteria: rare or residual, and I or hosting species of
Community interest (28).
BOREAL FORESTS
42C *Western taiga
NATURA 2000 code: 9010
PAL.CLASS: 41 B8, 41 C3, 41 D5, 42 C
NATURAL OLD BOREAL AND HEMIBOREAL FORESTS
DEFINITION:
Natural old forests as well as those young forest stages naturally
developing after fire. Natural old forests represent climax or late
succesion stages with slight human impact or without any human impact.
Present natural old forests are only minor remnants of those originally
occurring in Fennoscandia. With intensive forestry, which is carried out
practically throughout the countries, the main features of natural old
forests disappear, i e the considerable amount of dead and rotten wood,
the great variation in tree age and length and species composition, the
trees from previous generations, the more stable microclimate. Old
natural forests are habitats of many threatened species, especially
bryophytes, lichens, fungi and invertebrates (mostly beetles). Some of
the present old natural forests have human impact, but in spite of that
they maintain many characteristics of the natural forests.
Because of the important role of fire, burned forest areas, and their
young succession stages, have been naturally common in the boreal
region. Nowadays they are extremely rare because of the efficient fire
protection and forestry. Natural recently burned forest areas are very
important habitats to many endangered species. Typical for natural
burned areas is the great amount of dead burned wood and the varying
amount of living trees which greatly conditions the regeneration of the
forest.
The character of the forests vary with the different boreal zones
(hemi-, southern, middle, northern) and different site types.
The following sub-types are distinguished, according to the main tree
species and site type variation:
- natural old spruce forests
- natural old pine forests
- natural old mixed forests
- natural old trivial deciduous forests
- recently burnt areas
- younger forests naturally developed after fire.
PLANTS:
- Pine forests - Pinus sylvestris, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna
vulgaris, Empetrum nigrum, Pleurczium sekreberi, Cladonia spp;
- Spruce and mixed forests - Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Betula spp,
Vaccinium myrtillus, Deschampsia flexuosa, Maianthenum bifolium, Oxalis
acetosella, Trientalis europea, Dicranum spp, Pleurozum schreberi,
Hylocomium splendens;
- Deciduous forests - Betula spp, Populus tremula, Deschampsia flexuosa,
Vaccinium myrtillus, Agrostis capillaris, Equisetum sylvaticum.
- Lichens - Evernia divaricata, Lobaria pulmonaria.
- Fungi - Amylocystis lapponica, Gloiodon strigosum, Fornitopsis
populicola, Skeletocutis odora, S. stellae, Phlebia centrifuga,
Haploporus odorus, Aporpium cargae, Gelatoporia pannocincata, Phellinus
populicola.
ANIMALS:
- Mammals - Pteromys volans, Myopus schisticolor, Sorex minutus;
- Birds - Picoides tridactylus, Perisoreus infaustus, Dendrocopos
leucotos, D. minor;
- Beetles - Tragosoma depsarium, Pytho kolwensis, P. abieticola, Cucujus
cinnaberinus, Peltis grossa, Osmoderma eremita
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:
Finland, Sweden.
Originally natural old forests were found in the whole boreal and
hemiboreal zones, except in the oro-hemiarctic treeless zone. In Finland
nowadays most of the natural old forests are found in eastern and
northern parts, in southern and western parts of the country only
remnants of these forests remain. In Sweden most of the old natural
forests are in the north and only some of them in the south.
REFERENCES:
- Kalela, A (1961).- Waldvegetationszonen Finnlands und ihre klimatischen
paralelltypen.Arch. Sco zool. bot. fenn. Vanamo, 16 Suppl: 65-83
- Kalliola, R. (1973).- Suomen kas vimaantiede. Wsoy, Porvoo. 308 pp.
- Kielland-Lund, J (1967).- Zur systematik der Kiefenfelder
Fennoscandiens. Mitt. flor.-soz. ArbGermein, 11/12: 127--141.
- Kielland-Lund, J (1981).- Die Waldgesellschaften SO-Norwegens.
Phytocoenolog, 9: 53-250. *Kujala, V. (1981).- Suomen metsätyypit.
Commun. Inst. For Fenn, 92 (8) : 1-45
- Kuusinen, M (1994).- Epiphytic lichen diversity on Salix caprea in
old-growth southern and middle boreal forests of Finland. Ann.
Bot.Fennici, 31: 77-92.
- Påhlsson, L et al. (1995).- Vegetationstyper i Norden. Nordiska
ministerrådet Tema Nord 1994: 665 pp.
- Tanninen, T, Storrank, B, Haugen, L, Moller, PF, Löfgren, R,
Thorsteinsson, L & Ragnarsson, H (1994).- Naturskogar i Norden. Nord
1994: 7
- Virkkala, R, Alanko, T, Laine, T & Tianen, J.(1993).- Population
contraction of the white-backed woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos in
Finland as a consequence of habitat alteration. Biological Conservation,
66: 47-53.
(28)
For forest habitat types the following additional criteria were accepted
by the Scientific Working Group (21-22 June 1993):
- forests of native species;
- forests with a high degree of naturalness;
- forests of tall trees and high forest;
- presence of old and dead trees; forests with a substantial area;
- forests having benefited from continuous sustainable management over a
significant period.
FORESTS OF TEMPERATE EUROPE
41.11 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests
NATURA 2000 code: 9110
PAL.CLASS: 41.11
LUZULO-FAGETUM BEECH FORESTS
DEFINITION:
Fagus sylvatica and, in higher mountains, Fagus sylvatica-Abies alba or
Fagus sylvatica-Abies alba-Picea abies forests developed an acid soils
of the medio-European domain of central and northern Central Europe,
with Luzula luzuloides, Polytrichum farmasum and often Deschampsia
flexuosa, Calamagrostis villosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Pteridium
aquilinum.
PLANTS:
Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Picea abies, Luzula luzuloides, Polytrichum
formosum and often Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamagrostis villosa,
Vaccinium myrtillus, Pteridium aquilinum.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION:
Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands,
Spain, Sweden.
Corresponding category of the Nordic vegetation types:
"2221 Fagus sylvatica-Deschampsia flexuosa-Vaccinium myrtillus-typ"
The following sub-types are included:
41.111 Medio-European collinar woodrush beech forests.
Acidophilous Fagus sylvatica forests of the lesser Hercynian ranges and
Lorraine, of the collinar level of the greater Hercynian ranges, the
Jura and the Alpine periphery, of the western sub-Pannonic and the
intra-Pannonic hills, not or little accompanied by spontaneous conifers,
and generally with an admixture of Quercus petraea, or in some cases
Quercus robur, in the canopy.
41.112 Medio-European montane woodrush beech forests.
Acidophilous forests of Fagus sylvatica, Fagus sylvatica and Abies alba
or Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba and Picea abies of the montane and
highmontane levels of the greater Hercynian ranges, from the Vosges and
the Black Forest to the Bohemian Quadrangle, the Jura, the Alps, the
Carpathians and the Bavarian Plateau.
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