Title
Southwest Scandinavian subatlantic spruce forests (Picea abies) with Quercus robur, with dwarf shrubs and herbs (Vaccinium myrtillus, Oxalis acetosella, Melica nutans, Viola riviniana) alternating with raised bogs
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Norway: south coast; Sweden: southwestern part of the country
area frequency
10 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
a) Melico-Piceetum Kielland-Lund 1962 typicum, lowland type Kielland-Lund 1981; b) Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum Kielland-Lund 1962; c) Populo-Quercetum Tüxen 1951, Populo-Quercetum pinetosum et oxalidetosum Bjørnstad 1971; d) Melico-Quercetum Bjørnstad 1971,.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Vegetation mosaic conditioned by a mobile relief and various site types: On deep and relatively nutrient-rich sites there are spruce forests with pedunculate oak in the understorey (cf. D8), while oak and pine forests occur on acid-soil over shallow and rocky sites (cf. F8 and D46, D54). The main units are meso-eutraphent spruce forests and oligo-mesotraphent oak forests. spruce forests with dominating Picea abies in the tree layer, and local additions of Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Pinus sylvestris as well as Quercus robur in the understorey. Herb layer (up to 90 % coverage) with dwarf shrubs and herbs. The moss layer is usually well developed (up to 90 % coverage).
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
a, b) Picea abies, locally admixed Pinus sylvestris, Betula pendula, Betula pubescens s. l., Populus tremula, Quercus robur;
c, d) Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Populus tremula, Sorbus aucuparia
Shrub layer
a-d) Corylus avellana, Juniperus communis, Frangula alnus, locally Ilex aquifolium
Lianas
a-d) Lonicera periclymenum;
a, d) Hedera helix
Herb layer
a-d) Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna vulgaris, Deschampsia flexuosa, Melampyrum pratense, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Rubus saxatilis, Linnaea borealis, Hieracium murorum, Luzula pilosa, Trientalis europaea, Maianthemum bifolium, Carex pilulifera, Oxalis acetosella, Moneses uniflora, Pyrola rotundifolia, Pyrola minor;
a, d) Fragaria vesca, Viola riviniana, Melica nutans, Carex digitata, Calamagrostis arundinacea, locally Hepatica nobilis;
a) tall herb type: Aconitum lycoctonum subsp. lycoctonum, Thelypteris phegopteris, Athyrium filix-femina, Geranium sylvaticum, Polygonatum verticillatum
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
a-c) Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Mnium spinosum, Lophocolea heterophylla, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum scoparium, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Plagiochila asplenioides, Cirriphyllum piliferum, Rhodobryum roseum, Leucobryum glaucum
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies, Quercus robur; Corylus avellana, Lonicera periclymenum; Vaccinium myrtillus, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Rubus saxatilis, Linnaea borealis, Oxalis acetosella, Melica nutans, Viola riviniana, Carex digitata
Ecological variants
various trophic and humidity belts.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
On shallow hilltops and rocks, dwarf-shrub-rich pine forests with Leucobryum glaucum. In moist valley sites and wet lowlands: grey alder ash forests (Alno incanae-Fraxinetum Kielland-Lund in Seibert 1969), alder carrs (Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae Preising & Bodeux 1955, Lysimachio vulgaris-Alnetum glutinosae Kielland-Lund 1981), locally precious deciduous mixed forests (Ulmo-Tilietum Kielland-Lund in Seibert 1969) and beech forests (Deschampsio flexuosae-Fagetum Pass-Bad 1956), fens and raised bogs.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
birch forests (C9), boreal spruce forests (D4, D7, D8), hemi-boreal mixed broad-leaved-coniferous forests (D16, D17), pine forests (D45, D46, D52, D54), acidic-soil oak forests (F8), acidic-soil beech forests (F79), raised bogs (S18/19, S8), boreal alluvial forests (U4).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous plantations, broad-leaved tree pioneer forests (Betula spp., Populus tremula, Alnus incana).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Grassland.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Settlements.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
hilly landscapes in coastal regions of the hemiboreal zone
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
up to 150(300) m
Geology (bedrock)
gneiss, granite (Precambrian); ridges and slopes sparsely covered by moraine material; in lowlands marine and fluviatile sediments (Quaternary)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
a, d) brown soils, b, c) podzole; humus-type: mull to raw humus; (dystric cambisols; (stony) orthic podzols)
soil texture
sandy loam to sand
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moderately dry, locally moist
soil reaction
acidic to neutral
soil fertility
mesotrophic to oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2, VI(VIII)
average annual temperature
6-7 °C
average annual precipitation
800-1500 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
16-17 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
-3 to -1 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
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Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
The natural vegetation has been decimated and is endangered particularly on sites with deep soils.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, timber exploitation, grazing.
required measures for protection and restitution
Representative complexes with well developed semi-natural stands should be protected.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
In Norway there are no loci typici protected; Sweden: Tresticklan (Älvsborgs län), Svartedalen (Gothenburg), Femsjöbygden (Hallands län).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Bjørnstad 1971; Du Rietz 1949; Kielland-Lund 1967b; Kielland-Lund 1971; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kielland-Lund 1981; Osvald 1923; Osvald 1925
Compiled by
O. Vevle; L. Påhlsson, completed by U. Bohn
