Title
Northeast European open spruce forests (Picea abies x Picea obovata, Picea obovata) with Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, with dwarf shrubs, mosses and lichens (Vaccinium myrtillus, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum fuscescens, Polytrichum commune, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Cladina spp.)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
North Finland: Lappland; Russia: Kola peninsula, from north Carelia to the Northern and Polar Ural
area frequency
177 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Piceetum empetroso-myrtillosum, Piceetum cladinosum.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Non-water-logged northern boreal spruce forest with a low canopy closure (40-60 %) and low stand quality (IV-V). The proportion of birch in the tree layer is 20-30 %. The mapping unit is characterised by a range of boreal species that occur in more southern areas only in water-logged forests and in oligotrophic mires. The moss layer is well developed. In the northern part of the unit, pine forests with dominating shrub lichens occur (Cladina arbuscula, Cladina rangiferina, Cladina stellaris). Lichen pine forests are associated with the driest and most stony-rocky sites.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea abies x Picea obovata, Picea obovata, with admixture of Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Juniperus communis, Rosa acicularis, Betula nana
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium uliginosum, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Ledum palustre, Rubus arcticus, Cornus suecica, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Carex globularis, Deschampsia flexuosa, Solidago virgaurea, Calluna vulgaris
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum fuscescens, Polytrichum commune, Sphagnum girgensohnii; Cladina rangiferina, Cladina stellaris, Cladina mitis, Cladina arbuscula, Nephroma arcticum, Cladonia coccifera, Cladonia deformis, Stereocaulon paschale
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies x Picea obovata, Picea obovata, Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii; Empetrum hermaphroditum, Ledum palustre, Rubus arcticus; Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum fuscescens; Cladina rangiferina, Cladina stellaris, Cladina mitis
Ecological variants
dwarf shrub and lichen-rich formation types.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Calluna vulgaris in western areas.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
peaty soil spruce forests; small-aread incidences of Siberian larch forests (Larix sibirica) in valleys of the Timan hills with Picea obovata, dwarf shrubs and herbs (Astragalus frigidus, Potentilla nivea); small areas of aapa mire complexes.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
arctic shrub tundras (B19), mountain tundras (B36), alpine dwarf shrub vegetation (B42), birch and spruce open woodlands (C1, C3, C4, C5), birch forests (C9), spruce forests (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6), pine-spruce forests (D9), pine forests (D42, D43, D44, D45), raised bogs (S3, S4), palsa mires (S14), aapa mires (S15, S16), transition mires (S18/S19, S20), brown mires (S21, S23), alluvial forests (U2, U3).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
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grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Pastures, grasslands.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
---
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
glacially formed relief and sediments (moraines, selga, drumlins)
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland, colline
Geology (bedrock)
granites, gneiss (Precambrian); glacial, marine, fluviatile and fluvioglacial sediments (Pleistocene above Permian, Cambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzole, gley-podzole, block fields, mires and peaty soiled soils; (orthic and gleyic podzols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist, partly moderately dry
soil reaction
strong to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII(IX)2, VIII(IX)1, VIII2, IX
average annual temperature
-1 to 1 °C
average annual precipitation
400-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-16 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
< -12 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
---
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
A large proportion of the forests has been destroyed.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Wood cutting, pasturing (Reindeer), acid rain and air pollutants on the Kola peninsula.
required measures for protection and restitution
Decrease in wood cutting and reduction of pollutant emissions.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
some rserves in Fennoscandia; in Russia: Zapovednik Kostomukšskij, Pinežskij, Paanajarvi national park.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Andreev 1935; Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Jakovlev & Voronova 1959; Judin 1953; Kielland-Lund 1973; Korčagin 1956; Leont’jev 1937; Lvov 1970b; Nikonov & Lebedeva 1976; Sokolov 1926; Sokolova 1937; Solonevič 1934; Uskov 1930; Vasilevič 1983; Zinserling 1932
Compiled by
Z. Neuhäuslová and H. Wagner based on documents by V.I. Vasilevič
