D45: North European pine forests (Pinus sylvestris), partly with Picea abies, with dwarf shrubs (Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), lichens and mosses

Title

North European pine forests (Pinus sylvestris), partly with Picea abies, with dwarf shrubs (Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), lichens and mosses

Geographical distribution

Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)

Norway: a) Barbilophozio-Pinetum Braun-Blanquet & Sissingh 1939 em. Kielland-Lund 1967; b) Cladonio-Pinetum (Cajander 1921) Kielland-Lund 1967; c) Vaccinio-Pinetum Cajander 1921 (Vaccinium-type Cajander 1909, 1921, Empetrum-Vaccinium-type Kalela 1961, Empetro-Pinetum fennoscandicum Matuszkiewicz 1962); Sweden: Empetrum-Calluna-type, Calluna-type, Ericaceae-Cladina type Ilvessalo 1937, 1960; Myrtillus-Calluna-Cladina-type; Finland: Empetrum-Vaccinium-type, Empetrum-Calluna-type; Russia: Vaccinio vitis-idaeo-Pinetum cladinosum Sokotowskyi 1980; Vaccinio-Pinetum boreale Cajander 1921 (Kielland-Lund 1981).

Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)

a) Barbilophozio-Pinetum: moss-rich pine forests of the rainfall rich Scandinavian mountains. Open stands of weakly growing, branched pines, spruces and birches. Well developed herb layer - particularly in the form of dwarf shrubs. Lichens and mosses can form luxuriant carpets. b) Cladonio-Pinetum: frequent pine forest community on shallow rock soils and coarse sediments. In precipitation rich areas this community is replaced at high altitudes by the Barbilophozio-Pinetum, and with low rainfall they can reach as far as the tree line. The Vaccinio-Pinetum (c) is associated with fresher, deeper sites; coniferous forests dominated by Pinus sylvestris with admixtures of spruce and birch. Dwarf shrubs prevail in the herb layer, while in the cryptogam layer Cladonia and Dicranum species are strongly represented.

Dominant and most frequent species in different layers

Diagnostically important species

Pinus sylvestris; Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Goodyera repens; Cladonia cornuta subsp. groenlandica, Cladonia gracilis, Cladina rangiferina, Cladina arbuscula, Cladina stallaris, Cetraria islandica; Dicranum flexicaule, Dicranum fuscescens, Dicranum polysetum

Ecological variants

see the point 'stand structure'

Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)

in the east with Picea obovata, sometimes with Larix sibirica

Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)

Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum, -dryopteridetosum, -athyrietosum; occasionally Melico-Piceetum typicum and aconitetosum, minerotrophic mires and eccentric and concentric raised bogs; aapa mire complexes (S15); small area incidences of alder carrs.

Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)

alpine dwarf shrub vegetation (B42), birch forests (C9), spruce forests (D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D10, D11, D12, D14, D15, D16), pine forests (D42, D43, D44, D46, D47, D48), salt vegetation (P20), raised bogs (S18/19, S2, S3), tree-rich raised bogs (S12), aapa mires (S15, S16), brown mires (S23), birch carrs (T4), alluvial forests (U2, U3).

Land use, substitute communities

Site conditions of the mapping unit

Importance for nature protection

Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state 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; 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; Oksanen & Ahti 1982; Rysin 1975; Sambuk 1987; Tamm & Holmen 1961

Compiled by

O. Vevle; L. Påhlsson; Hähmet-Ahti and Karttunen; T.K. Jurkovskaja, N.M. Kalibernova based on documents by S.G. Sambuk, revised by U. Bohn