Title
North European moss-rich spruce forests (Picea abies, in the east P. abies x P. obovata, P. obovata) with dwarf shrubs and herbs (Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Trientalis europaea, Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum spp.)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Large-scaled distributed from Scandinavia to the foreland of the northern Ural. Norway: from Aust-Agder in the south to Nordland; Sweden: large-scaled from Värmland to Norrbotten; Finland: from Keski-Suomi to Oulu; Russia: from the Gulf of Finland to the foreland of the northern Ural
area frequency
234 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Norway/Sweden: a) Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum Kielland-Lund 1981; b) Eu-Piceetum dryopteridetosum Kielland-Lund 1981; Finland: Vaccinium-Myrtillus- and Deschampsia-Myrtillus-forest habitat type; Russia: Piceetum myrtillosum Zinserling 1932 (Piceetum myrtillosum, Piceetum oxalidosum, Piceetum vacciniosum, Piceetum gymnocarpiosum auct. ross.).
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Typical middle boreal spruce forests on mainly fresh sites in different formation types that depend on site conditions and soil trophy: berry shrub-rich, Oxalis-rich and fern-rich formation types. Bilberry-spruce forests (canopy closure 70-80%) prevail. Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia and Populus tremula are admixtures. A shrub layer is hardly if at all developed. Dwarf shrubs and mosses dominate in the field layer, while individual herbs are scattered. Grasses are frequent on clearings and in thinned forest forms.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea abies, in Finland and Russia additionally Picea abies x Picea obovata, Picea obovata, admixed Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Populus tremula
Shrub layer
Sorbus aucuparia, Juniperus communis, Frangula alnus, Rosa majalis, in the east Rosa acicularis, locally Prunus padus
Herb layer
a, b) Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Maianthemum bifolium, Trientalis europaea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Linnaea borealis, Lycopodium annotinum, Melampyrum pratense;
b) additionally Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Dryopteris expansa, Anemone nemorosa, Agrostis capillaris, Oxalis acetosella, Orthilia secunda, Pyrola rotundifolia, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Rubus saxatilis, Luzula pilosa
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum majus, Dicranum polysetum, Dicranum fuscescens, Dicranum scoparium, Hylocomium splendens;
b) Hylocomium umbratum, Brachythecium reflexum
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies, Picea abies x Picea obovata, Picea obovata; Vaccinium myrtillus, Linnaea borealis, Maianthemum bifolium, Trientalis europaea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Dryopteris expansa, Oxalis acetosella; Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi
Ecological variants
dwarf shrub and fern-rich formation types.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
in the west: Picea abies; from eastern Finland to the northern Dvina: Picea abies x Picea obovata; to the east: Picea obovata, and occasionally Abies sibirica. From Lake Onega towards the east, euro-Siberian and Siberian species start to colonise the herb layer.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
small-area incidences of pine forests, of Alnus incana forests; Fen communities of the Caricion fuscae and eccentric mires with Chamaemoro-Piceetum (at peaty sites) as well as aapa mire complexes (S15).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
alpine dwarf shrub vegetation (B42), birch forests (C9), spruce forests (D1, D2, D3, D5, D6, D7, D8, D15), pine forests (D42, D44, D45, D46, D47, D48, D52), salt vegetation (P20), raised bogs (S18/19, S2, S3, S4), aapa mires (S15), transition bogs (S18/19), brown mires (S21, S23, S24), alluvial forests (U2, U3).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
spruce plantations, birch forests, wood-cut communities (Epilobium angustifolium, Deschampsia flexuosa).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
Dwarf shrub heaths (Nardo-Callunetea); meadows, pasture lands.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Lowlands and hill country; glaciofluvial morainal hills and sand sediments
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline to submontane; 300-700 m in south Norway, 0-400 m in north Norway; Sweden: 0-700 m, Finland: 0-350 m, Russia: 0-300 m
Geology (bedrock)
glacial sediments (Pleistocene above Jurassic, Cretaceous, Triassic, Permian, Devonian); granite, gneiss (Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzole with raw humus layer, in the east also podzoled gray-brown podzolic soil, locally peat soils; (orthic and gleyic podzols; dystric podzoluvisols; dystric histosols)
soil texture
sand, loamy sand to sandy loam
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist
soil reaction
strong to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII2, VIII(VI)3, VIII(VI)5, VIII(VII)2
average annual temperature
Fennoscandian: 0-5 °C; Russia: -2 to -1 °C
average annual precipitation
Scandinavia: 500-1500 mm; Russia: 300-600 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
Scandinavia: 12-15 °C; Finland: to 17 °C (July); Russia: 16-20 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
Scandinavia: -14 to -3 °C; Finland: Å -10 °C (February); Russia: <-12 °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)
Norway: good state of preservation, sometimes protected, and reserves for natural coniferous forests are planned. Sweden: preserved over large areas, but old and representative stands should receive protection in nature reserves and national parks; Finland: not endangered; Russia: destroyed for the most part.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Timber exploitation, clear felling, forest fires.
required measures for protection and restitution
Russia: limitation of clear felling, afforestation, protection of representative stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Sweden: Tandövala (Dalarna), Billtjärn (Jämtland), Vällingsjö, Kålhuvudet (Västernorrlands län), Brännliden, Skellefteå (Väster bottens län), Granberget (Norrbottens län); Russia: reserves: Kivač, Svirskij (along the lower course of the Svir).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
---
Most important references (author, year)
Arnborg 1943; Arnborg 1964; Aune 1973; Cajander & Ilvessalo 1921; Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Hägglund & Lundmark 1977; Ilvessalo 1960; Jakovlev & Voronova 1959; Kalela 1961; Kalela & Kaliola (Ed.) 1973; Kielland-Lund 1962; Kielland-Lund 1965; Kielland-Lund 1967a; Kielland-Lund 1967b; Kielland-Lund 1971; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kielland-Lund 1981; Kujala 1936; Ničenko 1960b; Smirnova 1951; Smirnova 1954; Tamm & Holmen 1961; Vasilevič 1983; Zinserling 1932
Compiled by
O. Vevle; L. Påhlsson; Hähmet-Ahti and Karttunen; T.K. Jurkovskaja, N.M. Kalibernova based on documents by V.I. Vasilevič, revision U. Bohn
