Title
Scandinavian moist birch forests (Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii) with Cornus suecica, Vaccinium myrtillus, Barbilophozia lycopodioides, partly with tall-herbs and ferns (Cicerbita alpina, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycotonum, Geranium sylvaticum, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Dryopteris expansa, Gymnocarpium dryopteris)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Norway: from the north to the south along the mountain range; Sweden: Harjedalen, western border to Norway; north Finland
area frequency
100 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Vaccinio myrtilli-Betuletum (Nordhagen 1943) Kielland-Lund 1981; Empetro-Betuletum (Nordhagen 1943) Kielland-Lund 1973 (Syn.: Betuletum empetro-hylocomiosum Nordhagen 1943); Corno-Betuletum Aune 1973; Geranio-Betuletum Nordhagen 1943 korr. Dierßen 1982 (Syn.: Betuletum geranietosum subalpinum Nordhagen 1943; subalpine meadow forests Hämet-Ahti 1963; Melico-Betuletum athyrietosum Aune 1973); Poo remotae-Aconitetum septentrionale, Violo selkirkii-Aconitetum septentrionale Kielland-Lund 1978.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii forests with 6-12 m high birches, in the north particularly at more protected locations mixed with tree-high Sorbus aucuparia and Prunus padus. Well-developed shrub layer with juniper and Salix. Dwarf shrubs are often absent. Ferns are widespread, but herbs dominate.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, Sorbus aucuparia, Populus tremula
Shrub layer
Betula nana, Salix glauca, Salix lapponum, Salix phylicifolia, Salix myrsinifolia, Salix borealis, Juniperus communis
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Cornus suecica, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Deschampsia flexuosa; Geranium sylvaticum, Trollius europaeus, Solidago virgaurea, Gymnocarpium dryopteris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Barbilophozia lycopodioides, Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Cetraria islandica, Nephroma arcticum, Brachythecium reflexum, Brachythecium salebrosum, Plagiothecium denticulatum
Diagnostically important species
Tall herb and fern-rich subalpine birch forests: Geranium sylvaticum, Milium effusum, Epilobium hornemannii, Epilobium lactiflorum, Gnaphalium norvegicum, Cicerbita alpina, Silene dioica, Ranunculus platanifolius, Stellaria nemorum, Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycotonum, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Dryopteris expansa
Ecological variants
On fresh to moist sites with tall herbs that often dominate (Poo remotae-Aconitetum septentrionale, Violo selkirkii-Aconitetum septentrionale Kielland-Lund 1978).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Sweden with Prunus padus, Aconitum lycoctonum, Calamagrostis purpurea, Cirsium heterophyllum, Cicerbita alpina, Epilobium angustifolium, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Milium effusum, Myosotis decumbens, Paris quadrifolia, Silene dioica, Trollius europaeus, Valeriana sambucifolia, Viola biflora and Mnium spinosum; in Norway with Trientalis europaea, Lycopodium annotinum, Orthilia secunda, Listera cordata, Maianthemum bifolium, Thelypteris phegopteris, Oreopteris limbosperma, Athyrium distentifolium and Gnaphalium norvegicum.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Dryopterido-Calamagrostion purpurea, Athyrium distentifolium birch forests, Caricion nigrae/Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae, Oxyccoco-Empetrion communities of ombrotrophic raised bogs.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine mountain vegetation (A4), arctic scrub tundra (B17, B18), alpine vegetation (B40, B42), birch forests (C10, C12, C13, C14, C15), spruce forests (D1, D4, D7, D15), pine forests (D42, D45), coastal heaths (E2), mixed oak-ash forests (F27), blanket bogs (S7), palsa mires (S14), aapa mires (S15), brown mires (S23, S24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
The most important replacement communities: Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Nardetalia communities.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
isolated farms, holiday resorts, alpine ski sports.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
uplands, plains of the lowlands in the high north, mountain slopes
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
north boreal (subalpine); reaching down to sea level in the north, 120-520 m in Finland, 700-1000 m in south Norway and Sweden
Geology (bedrock)
silicate basement rocks (Precambrian granite, gneiss, granulite), covered by pleistocene moraine sediments of different thickness
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzole, palaeo-brown soils with raw humus and with less biological activity and lower productivity; in Sweden also brown soils (5-20 cm mull and good water permeability) or gley-like soils; (stony orthic podzols; gleyic and humic cambisols; eutric and dystric regosols)
soil texture
loamy sand, stony
soil moisture, water balance
moist to fresh
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
oligotrophic to meso-eutrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII(VI)2, VIII(VI)5, VIII(IX), IX(VIII)2, IX(VIII)3
average annual temperature
-3 to 2 °C
average annual precipitation
400-500 mm (Finland), 600-1200 mm (Norway), 700-1000 mm (Sweden)
average temperature of the warmest month
10-14 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-16 to -10 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
oceanic conditions.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
not endangered; Finland/Sweden: potentially endangered, only small stands are present in the region, and should as such be considered as worthy of protection.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Tourism (trampling).
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection from trampling stress by tourists and from other leisure activities.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Norway: Hardangervidda, Rondane, Jotunheimen, Børgefjell, Saltfjell, Underdalen, Dovrefjell, Stabbursdalen (national parks); Finland: Enontekiö, Kilpisjärvi, south and south-west slopes of Saana; Sweden: Atoko, Sarek (national parks), Ammarnäs-Hemavan.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Aune 1973; Aune & Kjærem 1977; Hämet-Ahti 1963; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kujala 1929; Nordhagen 1927; Nordhagen 1943; Odland 1981
Compiled by
O. Vevle; L. Hämet-Ahti, K. Karttunen; L. Påhlsson
