Title
East European psammophytic pine forests (Pinus sylvestris), partly with Quercus robur, Tilia cordata, in the southwest with Carpinus betulus in understorey, partly with Chamaecytisus ruthenicus, partly with steppe plants (Pulsatilla patens, Veronica spicata), in the hemi-boreal zone mostly with Picea abies
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
Poland: (central-) north-east Poland; Lithuania: southern part of the country; Belarus: southern half of the country; Ukraine: Polesje; Russia: East Prussia, belt from the Belarus' border as fas as to the middle Volga (Kasan), Vetluga, Vjatka, Kama
area frequency
157 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
predominately Peucedano-Pinetum Matuszkiewicz (1962) 1973 (subcontinental fresh pine forest) and related communities of the Dicrano-Pinion-alliance in combination with dry and moist pine forests; Russia: Pinetum cladinoso-hylocomiosum Grozdov 1940; Pinetum sparse-herbosa-hylocomiosum Uranov 1929.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Tree layer with dominant Pinus sylvestris (60-80 % coverage), scattered small-leaved deciduous forests; scattered shrub layer, but developed better than in D54 (10-30 % coverage); the herb layer (60-90 % coverage) usually features dwarf shrubs as well as grasses; the moss layer (70-90 % coverage) consists mostly of bryophytes, and in dry pine forests of shrub lichens.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Pinus sylvestris (most important stand forming tree species), scattered, isolated species of Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, with Picea abies (second tree-layer) in the hemi-boreal area; locally Tilia cordata, Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus (in the south-west) in the underwood
Shrub layer
Young growth of the tree species, further Sorbus aucuparia, Juniperus communis, Frangula alnus, scattered Chamaecytisus ruthenicus
Herb layer
Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Chimaphila umbellata, Festuca ovina, Luzula pilosa, Calluna vulgaris, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Convallaria majalis, Pulsatilla patens, Veronica spicata, Hieracium pilosella, Genista tinctoria, Solidago virgaurea, Rubus saxatilis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
Dicranum polysetum, Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens; locally: Cetraria islandica, Cladina spp., Cladonia spp.
Diagnostically important species
Pinus sylvestris, Tilia cordata, Quercus robur; Chimaphila umbellata, Monotropa hypopitys, Pyrola chlorantha, Diphasiastrum complanatum; Differential species towards D54: Peucedanum oreoselinum, Convallaria majalis, Scorzonera humilis, Polygonatum odoratum, Pulsatilla patens, Anthericum ramosum, Geranium sanguineum, Veronica spicata, Hieracium pilosella, Koeleria glauca
Ecological variants
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Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
In Poland there are two geographic strains which also probably occur further to the east: a "Sarmatian" and a "hemiboreal" strain. Differential species for the Sarmatian strain (albeit with quite an average persistence): Chamaecytisus ratisbonensis, Cytisus nigricans, Pulsatilla pratensis amongst others; the strain is primarily distributed in spruce-free areas of the (central) and eastern Polish lowlands, in southern Polesje and further into Ukraine. The "hemiboreal" strain bordering in the north-east is differentiated by the continuous occurrence of the spruce (Picea abies), even in the tree stand, and by the moderately persistent differential species Ptilium crista-castrensis and Goodyera repens as well as by the rarer Linnaea borealis, Pyrola rotundifolia and Pulsatilla patens subsp. patens; Russia: eastern formation type with additional Larix sibirica.
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
characterised by a relief-dependent alternation of small area incidences of moist pine forests (Molinio-Pinetum), pine swamp forests (Vaccinio uliginosi-Pinetum), spruce forests, alder carrs and tree-deprived transitional mires.
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
spruce forests (D19, D20, D21), pine forests (D47, D48, D49, D56, D57), acidic-soil oak forests (F12, F13), oak-hornbeam forests (F40, F41, F44), lime-pedunculate oak forests (F70, F71, F72), thermophilous oak forests (G1), forest steppes (L3, L5, L6), raised bogs (S9), tree-rich raised bogs (S12), tall sedge mires (S25), alder carrs (T1), birch carrs (T4), moist and alluvial forests (U10, U11, U12, U24).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
usually pine plantations with an 80 to 100 year rotation time; sometimes pioneer forests with Betula pendula and Populus tremula.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
anthrophogenic heaths (deprived Genisto-Callunetum, particularly in the northern Arctostaphylo-Callunetum); open and lichen-rich sandy dry grasslands (Spergulo-Corynephoretum, specific formation types of the Sileno otitis-Festucetum); occasionally matgrass communities (Polygalo-Nardetum) as extensive sheep and goat grazing land.
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
poorly productive, barely profitable rye and potato fields, as well as lupins as "green fertiliser". Scleranthus annuus community, fragments of the Echinochloo-Setarietum digitarietosum.
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
locations not lending themselves well to settlement; isolated small agricultural holdings almost without any ruderal vegetation.
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Poland: outwash plains, periglacial surfaces, higher (dune) terraces of the valleys
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
lowland-colline; to 300 m
Geology (bedrock)
eolian sands (Holocene, Pleistocene); glacial and fluviatile sediments (Pleistocene above Tertiary, Cretaceous)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
ferrum humus podzole (weakly to moderately developed); in drier forms podzole-ranker, in periodically moist and moist forms gley-podzole to podzolised gley; (leptic orthic and gleyic podzoles; dystric podzoluvisols)
soil texture
mostly deep, coarse-grained sands
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to dry, locally periodically moist to moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VI (VIII), VIII(VI)1, VIII(VI)4
average annual temperature
6-8 °C; 3-6 °C (Russia)
average annual precipitation
400-800 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
17-18,5 °C; 20-28 °C (Russia)
average temperature of the coldest month
-6 to -3 °C; -12 to -4 °C (Russia)
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
subcontinental, summer-warm.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Well preserved semi-natural stands are scattered everywhere within the range of the unit in Poland; in Russia the greater part has been destroyed (isolated forest islands).
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Eutrophication from industry and agriculture, and forest fertilisation, forest clearing, fires.
required measures for protection and restitution
controlled forestry, protection of representative semi-natural stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
Poland: representative, partly quite large-scaled stands of the Sarmatian race in the Kampinos-heaths near Varsovian, in the dune regions of Thorn and Plock, in the Johannisburg heath and in large forests of north-east Masurian. The hemi boreal race is especially typical represented in the Augustower heath and in the Bialowiezab national park; Russia: Zapovednik VorOnežskij, Prioksko-Terrasnij, Mordovskij, Volžsko-Kamskij.
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Gribova, Isačenko & Lavrenko (Red.) 1980; Kurnaev 1968; Matuszkiewicz 1962; Matuszkiewicz & Matuszkiewicz 1973; Matuszkiewicz 1987; Povarnicyn 1971; Rysin 1975
Compiled by
W. Matuszkiewicz; T.K. Jurkovskaja, N.M. Kalibernova
