Title
South Scandinavian-east Central European dwarf shrub- and lichen-rich pine forests (Pinus sylvestris), partly with Quercus robur in understorey, with Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna vulgaris, Cladina spp., Dicranum polysetum on sandy soils and siliceous rocksa = with Picea abies
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Sweden: southern part of the country as far as the line Karlstad-Stockholm; Germany: south-eastern Brandenburg, Baltic sea coast (small-scaled in the dune region, not representable in this scale); Poland: western, central and southern part as far as the central Weichsel and lower Bug; Austria: rare and small-scaled in the forest sector as well as in the eastern central Alps and inner Alps (here not representable in this scale)
area frequency
88 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Leucobryo-Pinetum Matuszkiewicz (1962) 1973 (suboceanic fresh pine forest) and related communities of the Dicrano-Pinion-Alliance in combinatiojn with dry and moist pine forests ; Germany: Cladonio- and Vaccinio-Pinetum sylvestris (Kobendza 1930 em. Passarge 1956), Pyrolo-Pinetum sylvestris Meusel 1951; Sweden: Vaccinio-Pinetum Cajander 1921, Empetrum nigrum subass. Olsson 1974; Austria: Vaccinio vitis-idaeae-Pinetum Mayer & Hofmann 1969.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Open, poorly growing pine forests usually with a one-stage tree layer (60-70(80) % coverage). The shrub layer is sparse to almost absent (5-20 %); there is a dwarf shrub and grass-rich herb layer (50-90 %), while there is ample covering by mosses and lichens (70-90 %), primarily bryophytes, with lichens predominating in dry pine forests.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus sylvestris (dominating); scattered Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, regional Picea abies, Abies alba as accompagnying tree species, in the underwood locally Quercus robur
Shrub layer
young growth of the occuring tree species, further Sorbus aucuparia, Juniperus communis, Frangula alnus
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna vulgaris, Melampyrum pratense, Festuca ovina, Luzula pilosa, Deschampsia flexuosa (regional), Pyrola chlorantha; Austria additionally: Hieracium murorum, Luzula luzuloides
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Dicranum polysetum, Dicranum scoparium, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Scleropodium purum, Ptilidium ciliare, Leucobryum glaucum, Polytrichum formosum; Cladina arbuscula, Cladina rangiferina
Diagnostically important species
Pinus sylvestris; Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Calluna vulgaris, Chimaphila umbellata, Dicranum polysetum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Scleropodium purum, Leucobryum glaucum, Cladina spp.
Ecological variants
dry, lichen-rich and moist formation types (with Molinia caerulea).
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
Poland: poorly differentiated; typically developed in East Germany and western Poland; in central Poland there are smooth transitions to D49 and D65; colline form is characterised by Picea abies and Abies alba; German Baltic coast: Empetrum nigrum and Trientalis europea in addition. Austria: inner and intermediate Alpine formation types with subalpine species (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, rhododendron ferrugineum etc.).
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Poland: relief-dependent alternation of dry pine forest (Cladonio-Pinetum), moist pine forest (Molinio-Pinetum) and pine bog forest (Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum); Germany: Molinio-Quercetum, Deschampsio-Fagetum, Violo-Corynephoretum; Austria: Luzulo-Fagetum, Luzulo-Piceetum.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce forests (D8, D16, D17), acidic-soil oak forests (F8, F10, F11, F12), oak-hornbeam forests (F38, F41, F42a, F55, F57), species-poor beech- and mixed beech forests (F80, F96), species-rich beech forests (F107, F119), thermophilous oak forests (G1), salt vegetation (P22), raised bogs (S18/19, S8), alder carrs (T1), moist and alluvial forests (U9, U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Dicranum and Cladonia pine plantations with 80 to 100 year rotations; trodden sward (Juncetum macri).
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
sandy heaths (deprived marginal formation types of the Genisto-Callunetum R. Tuexen 1937), with severer degradation open sandy dry grasslands (Spergulo-Corynephoretum); matgrass communities (Polygalo-Nardetum) as extensive pasture grounds (mostly for sheep).
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
Poland: poorly productive communities with rye, potatoes and lupins: Arnoserido-Scleranthetum, Digitarietum ischaemi and the most deprived formation types of the Echinochloo-Setarietum digitarietosum; Germany: cereals and root crops:: Teesdalio-Arnoseretum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
Poland: sites not lending themselves well to settlement; poor relict villages, almost without any ruderal communities.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Lowlands: Outwash plain areas, periglacial surfaces, higher (dune) terraces of the valleys, dunes (coastal and inland); Austria: uplands; high-mountains
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland, colline; to 300 m; Austria: submontane, montane
Geology (bedrock)
Germany/Poland: outwash of the Weichsel and Saale ice age (Pleistocene), end moraines of the Weichsel ice age and of the Warthe-stage within the Saale ice age (Pleistocene), eolian sand and dunes (Holocene); Austria: Tertiary sands; quarzit and quarzchad, Weinsberger granite (Palaeozoic)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzole-ranker, ferrum-podzole, gley-podzole; (orthic, gleyic and leptic podzols, dystric podzoluvisols, cambic arenosols)
soil texture
predominately coarse-grained sands
soil moisture, water balance
fresh, dry to periodically moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI2, VI7c, VI9a, VI(VII)3; VI2, VI(VIII); VI6b, VI9b, VI(VII)1, VI(X); (VII)1, VIII(VI)2
average annual temperature
6,5-8,6 °C; 5-8 °C (Sweden); 8-10 °C (Austria)
average annual precipitation
(450) 500-650 (750) mm; Austria: 600-1400 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 17-19 °C; 15-17 °C (Sweden)
average temperature of the coldest month
-3,5 to -1 °C; Germany: January -1 to 0 °C; Sweden: -4 to Å0 °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)
Poland: semi-natural, well developed stands are present everywhere over the range, particularly in larger forest complexes; Germany: endangered by eutrophication from the air and forest fertilisers, development of oak mixed forests is conceivable. Note: Except for the Empetrum and Pyrola pine forests on coastal dunes (particularly Darss) natural pine forests can hardly be verified or distinguished anymore from man-made commercial pine forests ! Austria: little endangered; frequently arising in a secondary manner due to the application of litter.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
Austria: in the Wachau (natural forest reserve Dürnstein) prostrate growing Pinus sylvestris.
causes of endangerment
Eutrophication (forest fertilisation, industrial emissions, agriculture), intensive forestry, resin extraction, sand excavation, quarries.
required measures for protection and restitution
Establishment of strictly protected nature reserves.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Sweden: Brattforsheden (Värmland), Tiveden (national park), Bottnaryd (Jönköpings län); Germany: nature reserve "Westdarss and village of Darss" in the national park "Boddenlandschaft" (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), biosphere reserve "Schorfheide" (Brandenburg); Poland: south Pomerania, in the Tucheler heath, in large forests between Frankfurt/O. and Reppin, in Lower Silesian heaths as well as in Upper Silesia (protected in mostly small nature reserves); Austria: Litschau (north-eastern forest sector).
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Fukarek 1961a; Fukarek 1961b; Haeggström 1983; Hinneri 1972; Högnäs 1966; Kalela 1961; Kalela 1970; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kielland-Lund 1981; Libbert 1940; Matuszkiewicz 1962; Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1973; Matuszkiewicz 1987; Mayer & Hofmann 1969; Olsson 1974a; Passarge 1957; Passarge & Hofmann 1968; Scamoni (Hrsg.) 1964; Skult 1956
Compiled by
W. Matuszkiewicz; H. Schlüter, completed by L. Påhlsson, K. Zukrigl
