Scandinavian coastal conifer forests | |
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Fitjar south of Bergen | |
![]() Ecoregion PA0520 | |
Ecology | |
Realm | Palearctic |
Biome | Temperate coniferous forests |
Borders | Sarmatic mixed forests |
Geography | |
Area | 19,400 km2 (7,500 sq mi) |
Country | Norway |
Coordinates | 60°33′N05°32′E / 60.550°N 5.533°E |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Critical/Endangered |
The Scandinavian coastal conifer forests or Norwegian coastal conifer forest is a Palearctic ecoregion in the temperate coniferous forests biome, located along the coast of Norway. Within it are a number of small areas with botanical features and a local climate consistent with a temperate rainforest.
The Scandinavian coastal conifer forest is a terrestrial ecoregion as defined by WWF [1] and National Geographic. [2] The broad definition is based on climatic parameters and includes a long area along the western Norwegian coast from Lindesnes and north to approximately Senja (further north summers are too cool for pine in coastal areas); in essence areas along the Norwegian coast where winters are fairly mild and where precipitation is sufficient and falls all year, usually with a peak in autumn and winter. It might include areas lacking naturally occurring conifer forests (as in Lofoten, where the pine forest was cleared many centuries ago) and even islands and rocky headlands with little to no woodland or forest, as well as areas with mostly deciduous forest (aspen, silver birch and downy birch, elm, rowan, sycamore maple, hazel).
The pine trees can be very old, up to 700 years in some areas in the north (Hinnøya). [3]
At somewhat higher elevations near the treeline in the Scandinavian Mountains is the Scandinavian montane birch forest and grasslands ecoregion. In some areas along valleys, this ecoregion meets the inland taiga belonging to the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion without mountain barriers. Examples of such valleys include the Rauma valley connecting Åndalsnes to Lesja and Dombås, and the Namdalen valley connecting the Nord-Trøndelag coast to the cold interior with connection into Sweden. [4] The ecoregion is naturally fragmented by fjords and mountains.
This area has a growing season lasting 150–240 days (24-hr mean 5 °C threshold) and reliable precipitation, from 870 to 3000 mm. July means range from 12 °C at some islands in the north (Andenes, Røst) to 16 °C in sheltered fjords in the south (Kvamsøy). Average daily highs in July range from 14 to 20 °C. Winters are often rainy and sometimes snowy (especially in northern areas), January means range from −2 to 3 °C with daytime highs from 0 to 5 °C. Mean annual temperatures range from 8.5 °C in the south (Bømlo; Stavanger and Bergen at 8.4), to 6-7 °C in central area (Kristiansund 7.2 °C, Brønnøy 6.6 °C), and 4-5 °C in the northernmost part (Bodø 5.5 °C Andenes 4.4 °C). This type of climate corresponds to Köppen type Cfb (Cfc for the northernmost islands). Temperatures and precipitation patterns are comparable to the coast of British Columbia from northern Vancouver Island and north through the Alaska Panhandle to Yakutat and Seward. [5] [6]
For the smaller area classified as rainforest, there are at least 200 days/year with measurable precipitation. The minimum annual precipitation given in the sources varies but is generally around 1400 mm. Some of the wettest areas in this ecoregion get more than 3000 mm annually, such as Brekke (3495 mm) near the mouth of Sognefjord, and even some areas much further north (Lurøy 3066 mm at 115 m ASL [7] ).
The lack of Spruce north of the Arctic Circle (Saltfjell) and along the southwestern coast is mainly due to barriers such as fjords and mountain ranges, and planted Spruce grows well north of the Arctic Circle as in Tromsø.
The southern limit of the Norway Spruce habitat in Norway is formed by a barrier of mountains and fjords, as well as winters being too mild for Norway Spruce near the outer seaboard along the southwestern coast. Along the southwestern coast and fjords (Vestlandet or Western Norway) is a temperate mixed forest with pine, some yew and deciduous trees (betula pendula, wych elm, linden, oak, aspen, hazel, juniper) in the lowlands and more typical boreal forest at higher altitudes. Several species reach their northernmost extent in this ecoregion (naturally occurring): Oak at Edøy and Ørland, yew at Molde, holly at Smøla, ash at Frosta, linden at Brønnøy, elm at Beiarn, hazel at Steigen, and pine has its northernmost forests in the world at Stabbursdalen National Park.
The botanically richest areas - the coast north up to Ålesund and some patches further north along Trondheimsfjord), although less diverse than the Oslofjord area due to migration barriers like fjords and mountains - are considered boreonemoral. [8] Some of the wettest areas in this region, where annual rainfall exceed 2000 mm or even 3000 mm, are sometimes considered boreonemoral temperate rainforest. [9]
Introduced species include the Norway spruce, which has been planted for economic reasons in areas outside the natural range both on the southwestern coast and in the northernmost part of the ecoregion. Sitka spruce has also been planted extensively, especially near the outer seaboard, even north to Vesterålen and Harstad.
Sycamore maple was introduced to private gardens and church yards more than 150 years ago, and has spread profusely along the southwestern coast, along the central coast (Trøndelag) and, to a considerably lesser degree, north to Vesterålen. [10] It is still most common near cities and villages, but seems certain to continue expansion along the coast and fjords.
There are many smaller introduced plants spreading, such as rosa rugosa. However, due to the often steep terrain, forestry has been somewhat limited in the coastal area, and many areas with original vegetation remain, but are often fragmented, especially so in the southern part of the ecoregion. American mink, originally escaped from fur farms, have colonized the whole country, and threaten sea bird colonies in some areas, but have not reached the outermost islands such as Røst, which have the largest sea bird colonies. The native otter seem to be dominant in areas with competition. [11]
Within this long area is a smaller area classified as boreal rainforest based on botanical criteria. Much of the original forests have been destroyed, but a total of 250 forested areas, most of them not very large, have been classified as boreal rainforest. They are located from 63°20'N in Snillfjord in Sør-Trøndelag county and north along the coast to 66°N in Rana in Nordland county, but restricted to areas with high humidity; often shielded from the sun most of the day. Some inland locations are included; these are located in moist locations, often near waterfalls. This is the main area in Europe for boreal rainforest and Norway thus has a special responsibility for preservation. [13] This coastal forest is mostly found at the lower elevations (below 200 m).
Due to the long history of human settlement (millennia) with agriculture and more recently forestry management, only fragments remain of the original forest. The boreal rainforests are made up mostly of Norway Spruce (Picea abies) but also included deciduous trees. Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) is also common. There is a rich understory of mosses and ferns. However, the most distinguishing feature is the diversity of lichens, some of which are endemic for this forest, or have their only location in Europe here (they are often found on the northwest coast of North America). Approximately 15 of the most rare or typical species of lichens have been named Trøndelagselementet (named after the Trøndelag region). Pseudocyphella crocata , Pannaria ahlneri and Erioderma padicellatum and Lobaria halli are examples of lichens. [14] [15] More than 60 unique species of lichen and moss can be found in the area. [16]
There are two subtypes of this rainforest; the Namdalen type and the Brønnøy/Fosen type. There are also broadleaf trees scattered in this forest, especially in the Brønnøy/Fosen type. Broadleaf trees include birch (Silver Birch Betula pendula and Downy Birch Betula pubescens), European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), Aspen (Populus tremula), Goat Willow (Salix caprea), and Grey Alder (Alnus incana). Rarer species are Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra), Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) and Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa) (the latter only in the southern part of the area).
There are a large number of species of migrating birds in this ecoregion, as well as some that stay all year. Larger herbivore animals are moose and red deer (the latter only south of the Arctic Circle), as well as the smaller roe deer. Reindeer might occasionally come down to the coast north of Trondheimsfjord, but they usually stay at the highlands outside this ecoregion. Predators are few, as they have been hunted by man for centuries, exterminating brown bear and grey wolf in the coastal area. In some areas, they roam further inland in the taiga ecoregion, and might on rare occasions get closer to the coast. Red fox and the sea eagle are common predators in the area, the latter now being very common after decades of protection. There are also some lynx, mostly in the northern part. Hares, otters are common and one can even see european beavers although more rarely. There are also some amphibians including the common frog and the smooth newt; the european viper can be seen south of the Arctic circle.
Taiga, also known as boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruces, and larches. The taiga or boreal forest is the world's largest land biome. In North America, it covers most of inland Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northern contiguous United States. In Eurasia, it covers most of Sweden, Finland, much of Russia from Karelia in the west to the Pacific Ocean, much of Norway and Estonia, some of the Scottish Highlands, some lowland/coastal areas of Iceland, and areas of northern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, and northern Japan.
Norway is a country located in Northern Europe in the northern and western parts of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The majority of the country borders water, including the Skagerrak inlet to the south, the North Sea to the southwest, the North Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Barents Sea to the north. It has a land border with Sweden to the east; to the northeast it has a shorter border with Finland and an even shorter border with Russia.
Nordland is one of the three northernmost counties in Norway in the Northern Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Trøndelag in the south, Norrbotten County in Sweden to the east, Västerbotten County to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is in the town of Bodø. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen has been administered from Nordland since 1995. In the southern part of the county is Vega, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
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.
The Valdivian temperate forests (NT0404) is an ecoregion on the west coast of southern South America, in Chile and Argentina. It is part of the Neotropical realm. The forests are named after the city of Valdivia. The Valdivian temperate rainforests are characterized by their dense understories of bamboos, ferns, and for being mostly dominated by evergreen angiosperm trees with some deciduous specimens, though conifer trees are also common.
Temperate rainforests are rainforests with coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain.
The Pacific temperate rainforests of western North America is the largest temperate rain forest region on the planet as defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The Pacific temperate rainforests lie along the western side of the Pacific Coast Ranges along the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America from the Prince William Sound in Alaska through the British Columbia Coast to Northern California, and are part of the Nearctic realm, as also defined by the World Wildlife Fund. The Pacific temperate rain forests are characterized by a high amount of rainfall, in some areas more than 300 cm (10 ft) per year and moderate temperatures in both the summer and winter months.
The Northern Pacific coastal forests are temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the Pacific coast of North America. It occupies a narrow coastal zone of Alaska, between the Pacific Ocean and the northernmost Pacific Coast Ranges, covering an area of 23,300 square miles, extending from the Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska along the Gulf of Alaska to the western Kenai Peninsula and eastern Kodiak Island. The Pacific Coastal Mountain icefields and tundra ecoregion lies inland, at higher elevations in the Coast Mountains. The ecoregion receives high rainfall, which varies considerably based on exposure and elevation. It contains a quarter of the world's remaining temperate rain forest.
The Scandinavian montane birch forests and grasslands is defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as a terrestrial tundra ecoregion in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
The Dinaric Mountains mixed forests are a terrestrial ecoregion of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome in Southeastern Europe, according to both the WWF and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the European Environment Agency. It also is in the Palearctic realm.
The Central Pacific coastal forests is a temperate coniferous forest ecoregion located in the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system.
The eastern forest–boreal transition is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of North America, mostly in eastern Canada. It is a transitional zone or region between the predominantly coniferous Boreal Forest and the mostly deciduous broadleaf forest region further south.
The Southern Siberian rainforest is an area of temperate rainforest in South Central Siberia that occurs primarily along the Altai and Sayan mountain ranges in Khakassia and Tuva as well as a small area in the Khamar-Daban Mountains near Lake Baikal in Buryatia. The forest encompasses a total area of approximately 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq mi). The larger portion of the forest in the Altai and Sayan Mountains runs across a latitude range that encompasses between 51.5 degrees to 56 degrees north latitude, and a longitude range running between 86 degrees to 95 degrees east longitude. The region overlaps with the Golden Mountains of Altai World Heritage Site. Ecological zones range from hemiboreal forest to a forest-steppe ecotone and include a wider variety of plant species than surrounding areas.
The temperate rainforests of the Russian Far East are within the Russian federal subjects Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai and contains the Sikhote-Alin mountain range. Found within the Russian Federation, this area is one of the most productive and diverse forests in the world and also contains one of the highest endangered species densities on Earth. While most temperate rainforests around the world have retained only a fraction of their historical range, these forests maintain the majority of their former range and almost all of their historical biodiversity. The region is also notable for having what has become the last remaining large tract of viable habitat for the critically endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard.
Nurgush Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' One of the few intact forest landscapes of Northern European Russia, virtually untouched by human activities. It is designed to protect the floodplain complexes of the Vyatka River, numerous lakes and coniferous-deciduous forests. The reserved is situated in the Kotelnichsky District of Kirov Oblast. The reserve was created in 1994, but has been a protected area since at least 1952 when it was organized as a beaver reserve; it covers an area of 5,918 ha (22.85 sq mi).
Kandalaksha Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' on the south shore of Kandalaksha Bay in the Murmansk and Karelia regions on the opening to the White Sea. The reserve also includes two small sectors on the northern coast of the Kola peninsula on the Barents Sea; notably, the warm Atlantic current causes the northern sectors on the Barents Sea to be warmer than the more southerly White Sea sectors. Over 550 islands are covered in the boundaries of the reserve. It is one of the oldest nature reserves in Russia, created in 1932 to protect the marine habitats and waterfowl of the region, particularly the eider. The reserve is situated in the Kandalakshsky District, Kolsky District, and Lovozersky District of Murmansk Oblast. The nearest city, Kandalaksha, is at the northwest entrance to the Kandalaksha Gulf, about 5 km from the nearest point in the reserve. Since 1976, the reserve has been part of the Ramsar wetland site of international importance "Kandalaksha Bay". It covers an area of 70,530 ha (272.3 sq mi).
Kologrivski Forest Nature Reserve is a Russian 'zapovednik' created to protect and study southern taiga nature complexes of the Russian Plain. The reserve includes the only two surviving old-growth southern European taiga arrays not exposed landscape changes. Some trees are 350–400 years old. The reserve hosts 38 out of 72 species of rare and endangered species in the Kostroma region. The reserve is situated in the Kologrivsky District of Kostroma Oblast. It was formally established in 2006, and is officially named State Nature Reserve "MG Sinitsyn", after its first administrator. The site covers 58,940 ha (227.6 sq mi).
Northern Canadian Shield taiga is a taiga ecoregion located in northern Canada, stretching from Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories to Hudson Bay in eastern Nunavut. The region supports conifer forests to its northern edge, where the territory grades into tundra. The open forest in this transition zone is characterized by widely scattered, stunted stands of black spruce and tamarack, with some white spruce. The ecoregion lies over the northwestern extent of the Canadian Shield.
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.
The Ecological regions of Quebec are regions with specific types of vegetation and climates as defined by the Quebec Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks. Given the size of this huge province, there is wide variation from the temperate deciduous forests of the southwest to the arctic tundra of the extreme north.