Baltic mixed forests

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Baltic mixed forests
2019 - Nationalpark Jasmund - 04.jpg
Lowland mixed beech forest in a coastal climate
(Jasmund National Park in Germany)
Ecoregion PA0405.svg
Ecoregion PA0405
Ecology
Realm Palearctic
Biome Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Borders
Geography
Area116,550 km2 (45,000 sq mi)
Countries
Coordinates 54°13′N12°56′E / 54.217°N 12.933°E / 54.217; 12.933
Conservation
Conservation status Critical/Endangered

The Baltic mixed forests is an ecoregion in Europe along the southwestern coasts of the Baltic Sea. The name was coined by the European Environment Agency.[ citation needed ] The same geographical area is designated as "Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland" ecoregion by the WWF.

Contents

Distribution

Despite the name, Baltic mixed forests are not found in any of the Baltic countries. These countries are instead dominated by the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, with the exception of southern Lithuania, which is within the northern reaches of the Central European mixed forests. [1] [2] Rather, Baltic mixed forests are found along the western and southern shores of the Baltic Sea, comprising northwestern Poland, northeastern Germany, eastern Denmark and the very southernmost tip of Sweden. [3] More specifically, they are common in lowland areas on the eastern side of the Danish peninsula and submontane areas north of the Elbe and Oder Rivers. [4]

Flora

The ecoregion's natural habitat type is lowland to submontane beech and mixed beech forests. For the beech, European beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) is dominant. Other tree species that mix in, covers a broad array of mostly deciduous trees, but also conifer to a small extent. Oak, elm, ash, linden, maple, hazel, rowan and birch are common among the many deciduous trees mixed in with beech. [5]

Fauna

A large asortment of animals, mainly mammals, are found in this ecoregion. Among them are species such as red foxes, grey wolves, beech marten's, red deer and european polecats. [6] [7] Hundreads of species of birds are also found in these forests, including but not limited to various species of woodpeckers, owls, tits, corvids and warblers. [8]

Ecological challenges

According to a 2015 study into the effect of climate change on the Baltic Sea Basin, the changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are likely to change the south-western Baltic forest's flora considerably, with a shift in the natural species composition towards more drought tolerant species, leading to a decrease in species diversity and a decrease in groundwater recharge. Similarly, the fauna of the region will also be adversely affected, due to the Baltic region's particularly sensitive nature to changes in salinity, which can have a cascading effect on food webs and interaction between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests</span> Biome

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are environment-protected scientific-research institutions of international status that are created with the intent for conservation in a natural state the most typical natural complexes of biosphere, conducting background ecological monitoring, studying of the surrounding natural environment, its changes under the activity of anthropogenic factors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomon Islands rain forests</span>

The Solomon Islands rain forests are a terrestrial ecoregion covering the Solomon Islands archipelago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temperate rainforest</span> Forests in the temperate zone

Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western European broadleaf forests</span> Ecoregion in Western Europe

The Western European broadleaf forests is an ecoregion in Western Europe, and parts of the Alps. It comprises temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, that cover large areas of France, Germany and the Czech Republic and more moderately sized parts of Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and South Limburg (Netherlands). Luxembourg is also part of this ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Temperate deciduous forest</span> Deciduous forest in the temperate regions

Temperate deciduous or temperate broad-leaf forests are a variety of temperate forest 'dominated' by deciduous trees that lose their leaves each winter. They represent one of Earth's major biomes, making up 9.69% of global land area. These forests are found in areas with distinct seasonal variation that cycle through warm, moist summers, cold winters, and moderate fall and spring seasons. They are most commonly found in the Northern Hemisphere, with particularly large regions in eastern North America, East Asia, and a large portion of Europe, though smaller regions of temperate deciduous forests are also located in South America. Examples of trees typically growing in the Northern Hemisphere's deciduous forests include oak, maple, basswood, beech and elm, while in the Southern Hemisphere, trees of the genus Nothofagus dominate this type of forest. Temperate deciduous forests provide several unique ecosystem services, including habitats for diverse wildlife, and they face a set of natural and human-induced disturbances that regularly alter their structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English Lowlands beech forests</span> Ecoregion in the British Isles

The English Lowlands beech forests is a terrestrial ecoregion in the United Kingdom, as defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the European Environment Agency (EEA). It covers 45,600 km2 (17,600 sq mi) of Southern England, approximately as far as the border with Devon and South Wales in the west, into the Severn valley in the north-west, into the East Midlands in the north, and up to the border of Norfolk in the north-east. The WWF code for this ecoregion is PA0421.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarmatic mixed forests</span> Ecoregion in Europe

The Sarmatic mixed forests constitute an ecoregion within the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature classification. The term comes from the word "Sarmatia".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scandinavian and Russian taiga</span> Ecoregion in Northern Europe

The Scandinavian and Russian taiga is an ecoregion within the taiga and boreal forests biome as defined by the WWF classification. It is situated in Northern Europe between tundra in the north and temperate mixed forests in the south and occupies about 2,156,900 km2 (832,800 sq mi) in Norway, Sweden, Finland and the northern part of European Russia, being the largest ecoregion in Europe. In Sweden the taiga is primarily associated with the Norrland terrain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illyrian deciduous forests</span> Terrestrial ecoregion of Europe

The Illyrian deciduous forests is a terrestrial ecoregion in southern Europe, which extends along the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It belongs to the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, and is in the Palearctic realm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyrcanian forests</span> Ecoregion in Iran

The Hyrcanian forests are a zone of lush lowland and montane forests covering about 55,000 square kilometres (21,000 sq mi) near the shores of the Caspian Sea in Iran and Azerbaijan. The forest is named after the ancient region of Hyrcania. The World Wide Fund for Nature refers to the ecoregion as the Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forests. Since 5 July 2019, the Hyrcanian Forests have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In September 2023, the heritage site expanded to incorporate portions of the forest located in Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shebenik National Park</span> Protected area in Albania

Shebenik National Park is a national park in eastern Albania adjacent to the border with North Macedonia. It encompasses 34,507.9 hectares (345.079 km2) and is specifically marked by a mountainous landscape supplied with glacial lakes, valleys, dense coniferous and deciduous forests and alpine meadows and pastures. Elevations in the park vary from 300 metres to over 2,200 metres above the Adriatic at the peak of Shebenik and Jabllanica, hence the name. It dwells a number of endangered species that are fast becoming rare in Southern Europe, including the brown bear, gray wolf and balkan lynx. The abundance in wildlife can in part be explained by the variety of vegetation types and remote location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecoregions in Poland</span>

Poland is part of four terrestrial ecoregions, one freshwater ecoregion, and one marine ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic broadleaf forests</span> Ecoregion in the British Isles

The Celtic broadleaf forests are a terrestrial ecoregion that covers most of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatolian conifer and deciduous mixed forests</span> Ecoregion in Southwestern Anatolia, Turkey

The Anatolian conifer and deciduous mixed forests is an ecoregion located in southwestern Anatolia, Turkey. It has a Mediterranean climate, and is part of the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park</span>

Smolenskoye Poozerye National Park is a forest-wetland ecosystem of 35 lakes and surroundings in the northwest of Smolensk Oblast near the Russian border with Belarus, about 40 miles (64 km) north of the city of Smolensk. The Western Dvina River flows through the lake region. The park was officially established in 1992. Since 2002, the park has been included in the international network of biosphere reserves. Administratively, the national park is shared between Demidovsky and Dukhovshchinsky Districts of Smolensk Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central European mixed forests</span>

The Central European mixed forests ecoregion is a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe, from Germany to Russia. The area is only about one-third forested, with pressure from human agriculture leaving the rest in a patchwork of traditional pasture, meadows, wetlands. The ecoregion is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome, and the Palearctic realm, with a Humid Continental climate. It covers 731,154 km2 (282,300 sq mi).

Located in the Scandinavian Peninsula, Sweden is a mountainous country dominated by lakes and forests. Its habitats include mountain heath, montane forests, tundra, taiga, beech forests, rivers, lakes, bogs, brackish, marine coasts, and cultivated land. The climate of Sweden is mild for a country at this latitude, largely owing to the significant maritime influence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests</span>

The Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in southwestern Europe. It extends along the Pyrenees mountains which run east and west along the border between France and Spain, and includes all Andorra. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Pyrenees to its highest peaks, which include Aneto, Posets, and Vignemale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alps conifer and mixed forests</span> Ecoregion in Central Europe

The Alps conifer and mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in central Europe. It extends along the Alps mountains through portions of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Alps to its peaks, which include Mont Blanc, at 4,809 m (15,778 ft) the highest peak in the Alps.

References

  1. Röser, Dominik; Asikainen, Antti; Stupak, Inge; Parsanen, Karri (2008). "Forest Energy Resources and Potential". In Röser, Dominik; Asikainen, Antti; Raulund-Rasmussen, Karesten; Stupak, Inge (eds.). Sustainable Use of Forest Biomass for Energy: A Synthesis with Focus on the Baltic and Nordic Region. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer Science & Business Media. p. 11. ISBN   9781402050541.
  2. Pivoriunas, Danelius (2000). Ikonen, Iiro; Lammi, Antti (eds.). Traditional Rural Biotopes in the Nordic Countries, the Baltic States and the Republic of Karelia: An International Seminar and Workshop in Turku May 2-May 4, 2000. Copenhagen, Denmark: Nordic Council of Ministers. p. 47. ISBN   9789289305600.
  3. Maltby, E. (2009-04-27). Maltby, Edward (ed.). Functional Assessment of Wetlands: Towards Evaluation of Ecosystem Services. Woodhead Publishing in Environmental Management. Boca Raton, FL, Boston, MA, New York and Washington DC: Elsevier. pp. 111:9. ISBN   9781845695163.
  4. "Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland". World Wildlife Fund. 1 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  5. Dinuls, Romans; Erins, Gatis; Lorencs, Aivars; Mednieks, Ints; Siņica- Siņavskis, Juris (2012-04-01). "Tree Species Identification in Mixed Baltic Forest Using LiDAR and Multispectral Data". IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 5 (2): 594–603. Bibcode:2012IJSTA...5..594D. doi:10.1109/JSTARS.2012.2196978. S2CID   42356100.
  6. Baagøe, Hans Jensen (2007). Dansk Pattedyratlas (in Danish). Copenhagen: Gyldendal.
  7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279531339_De_forste_analyser_af_ulvens_Canis_lupus_fode_i_Danmark
  8. "Denmark bird checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  9. Pekka, Niemelä; Tolvanen, Harri; Rönkä, Mia; Kellomäki, Seppo; Krug, Joachim; Schurgers, Guy; Lehikoinen, Esa; Kalliola, Risto (2015). "Environmental Impacts—Coastal Ecosystems, Birds and Forests". In von Storch, Hans; Omstedt, Anders (eds.). Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin. Regional Climate Studies. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 291–301. ISBN   9783319160061.