Title
North European open pine forests (Pinus sylvestris) with Betula nana, with lichens, mosses and dwarf shrubs (Cladina spp., Polytrichum juniperinum, Pleurozium schreberi, Empetrum hermaphroditum, partly Ledum palustre)
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Norway: Finnmark, Inherad, Hedmark; Sweden: eastside of the Skandinavian mountains, Esrange; Finland: Lappland; Russia: Kola peninsula, Carelia, north Russian lowlands as far as to the Pečora. (The southern limit of distribution is according to the south border of north boreal forests)
area frequency
218 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Norway: a) Cladonio-Pinetum (Cajander 1921) Kielland-Lund 1967, b) north boreal (montane) Barbilophozio-Pinetum Braun-Blanquet & Vlieg. 1939 em. Kielland-Lund 1967; Finland: Cladina-, Uliginosum-Vaccinium-Empetrum- and Uliginosum-Empetrum-Myrtillus-forest habitat types; Russia: Cladonio-Pinetum boreale (Cajander 1921) Kielland-Lund 1967, Calamagrostis lapponicae-Pinetum Braun-Blanquet & Sissingh 1939 em. Kielland-Lund 1967; Pinetum cladinosum boreal, Pinetum hylocomioso-cladinosum boreal.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Pinus sylvestris dominates in the open tree layer with a canopy closure of 30-60%, a height of 8-18 m level and a stand quality of IV-V (V.a), sometimes with admixtures of Picea abies or Picea obovata (up to 10 %), Betula pubescens linn. and in eastern areas also Larix sibirica. The northern boreal lichen-pine forests with mosses and dwarf shrubs are distinguished from the southern lying pine forests by the occurrence of bog species (Vaccinium uliginosum, Ledum palustre). In the dwarf shrub layer Empetrum hermaphroditum can dominate (E. nigrum) as well as Vaccinium vitis-idaea; the species assemblage of the lichen dominated moss layer is also specific. Dwarf shrubs expand particularly readily after fires, and their average degree of coverage is 5-20 %. The degree of coverage of the lichen-rich moss layer can reach 100 %. Norway: The Barbilophozio-Pinetum encompasses the subalpine, oligotrophic birch and pine forests of the Scandinavian mountains: The open tree layer consists of weakly growing, branched pines, spruces and birches. The herb layer is rich in dwarf shrubs. Lichens, mosses and peat-mosses can form a luxuriant carpet. At lowland sites with less rainfall the community is replaced by the Cladonio-Pinetum.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
a) Pinus sylvestris predominating, partly admixture of Picea abies, Picea obovata (in the east), Betula pubescens s. l., Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Sorbus aucuparia, Salix caprea
Shrub layer
isolated Betula nana, Juniperus communis, Juniperus communis subsp. alpina, Betula pubescens, Betula pubescens subsp. czerepanovii, Picea abies, Picea obovata, Sorbus aucuparia
Herb layer
a/b) Empetrum hermaphroditum, Empetrum nigrum, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris, Ledum palustre, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Deschampsia flexuosa, Solidago virgaurea, Linnaea borealis, locally Calamagrostis lapponica
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
a) Pleurozium schreberi, Polytrichum juniperinum, Polytrichum piliferum, Dicranum bergeri, Dicranum polysetum, Dicranum majus, Dicranum fuscescens, Hylocomium splendens, Ptilium crista-castrensis; Cladina rangiferina, Cladina mitis, Cladina stellaris, Cladina arbuscula, Cladonia coccifera, Cladonia gracilis, Cladonia cornuta, Cladonia crispata, Cladonia uncialis, Cladonia macroceras, Cetraria islandica, Cetraria nivalis, Nephroma arcticum, Stereocaulon alpinum, Stereocaulon paschale, Stereocaulon grande, Peltigera aphthosa;
b) Dicranum flexicaule, Barbilophozia attenuata, Barbilophozia floerkei, Barbilophozia lycopodioides
Diagnostically important species
Pinus sylvestris; Betula nana; Empetrum hermaphroditum, Ledum palustre, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium vitis-idaea; Cladina stellaris, Cladina rangiferina, Cladina mitis, Cladonia coccifera, Cladonia gracilis, Cetraria nivalis, Stereocaulon grande, Dicranum fuscescens, Dicranum bergeri, Dicranum polysetum
Ecological variants
mainly dry, locally fresh and moist formation types.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
in the east with Picea obovata, Larix sibirica.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Norway: subalpine Betuletum empetro-cladinosum Nordhagen 1943; Russia: small area incidences of north-east European larch light forests (Larix sibirica) in the Pechora region and in valleys of the Timan ridge; northern boreal types of spruce forests; small areas of aapa mire complexes (S15, S16).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
arctic shrub tundras (B19), alpine dwarf shrub vegetation (B42), birch and spruce open woodlands (C1, C2, C3, C5), birch forests (C9, C10), spruce forests (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D9), pine forests (D42, D43, D44, D45, D47), raised bogs (S2, S3, S4), palsa mires (S14), aapa mires (S15, S16), transition bogs (S18/S19), brown mires (S23), alluvial forests (U2, U3).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Pine plantations, birch pioneer forests.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
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arable land (characteristic weed communities)
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settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Norway: Holiday houses.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Lowland plains, hilly and mountainous country
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
Norway: montane (to subalpine), 700-1000 m in central and south Norway; Sweden: colline-submontane, (to 800 m); Finland: colline, 100-300 m; Russia: lowland-colline
Geology (bedrock)
glacial and fluvioglacial sediments (Pleistocene above Cambrian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous); granite, gneiss (Precambrian), locally dolomite
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
oligotrophic ferrum-humus podzole with raw humus layer, peaty soiled soils and mires; (orthic and gleyic podzols, dystric histosols)
soil texture
sandy, often small chaded or gravely-sandy, locally rocky
soil moisture, water balance
dry, locally fresh to moist or wet
soil reaction
strongly acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII(IX)2, VIII(IX)
average annual temperature
-4 to 1 °C
average annual precipitation
400-600 mm; Norway: to 1200 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
12-16 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
<-10 °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)
Not endangered in Norway and Finland; frequently still preserved as primeval forest in Sweden; Russia: semi-natural stands of these forests are only preserved on the terraces of the northern Pinega, Severnaja Dvina, Onega , Ponoj, Pechora, and Mezen’ rivers.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Russia: older pine forests with moss layer dominated by lichen, so-called "belomoschniki", which were not influenced by fire during the last 50-60 years, are extraordinary rare and must be protected.
causes of endangerment
Forest clearing, fire.
required measures for protection and restitution
In Norway the unit is protected in several national parks and nature reserves; Russia: prevention of further forest clearings.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Russia: terraces of the northern rivers, reserves: Kandalakšskij, Laplandskij, Kostomukšskij, Pinežskij; Sweden: Karmoråsen (Dalarna), Töfsingdalen (national park), Rogen (Dalarna/Jämtland), Tjeggelvas-Hornavan (Norrbottens län), Vittangi (Norrbottens län), Oulanka (national park).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Aaltonen 1919; Cajander & Ilvessalo 1921; Dierssen 1996; Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Hämet-Ahti 1963; Kalela 1961; Kalela & Kaliola (Ed.) 1973; Kielland-Lund 1967b; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kielland-Lund 1981; Matuszkiewicz, Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1995; Mehus 1986; Nordhagen 1943; Sambuk 1932; Sambuk 1986a; Spjelkavik & Vorren 1976
Compiled by
O. Vevle, completed by L. Påhlsson; Hähmet-Ahti and Karttunen; Z. Neuhäuslová, H. Wagner based on documents by V.I. Vasilevič, revised version by U. Bohn
