Title
Fennoscandian moss-rich spruce forests (Picea abies) with dwarf shrubs and herbaceous plants (Vaccinium myrtillus, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Luzula pilosa, Maianthemum bifolium, Trientalis europaea, Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi), partly with Anemone nemorosa, Ribes alpinum, locally alternating with pine and spruce mires
Geographical distribution
Country/territory
South Norway: Sorlandet, Trondelag; south Sweden: Värmland (at the border to Norway); large-scaled in south Finland: Vaasa; Russia: border region to Finland
area frequency
63 polygons.
Scientific names of main plant communities and their most common synonyms (with author citation)
Norway: a) Eu-Piceetum myrtilletosum Kielland-Lund 1962; Plagiochila major-variant and typical variant Kielland-Lund 1981; b) Eu-Piceetum dryopteridetosum Kielland-Lund 1981; Finland: mostly Myrtillus-forest habitat type.
Structural feature of the main community(ies) (layers, life-forms, etc.)
Berry shrub-rich (a) and occasionally fern-rich (b) formation types of southern boreal spruce forests on mainly fresh and base-deficient morainal sites. In the tree layer the spruce dominates, while pines and birches are added occasionally. The shrub layer is weakly developed. Dwarf shrubs and mosses prevail in the field layer. The Dryopteris type (b) is associated with cool and moist sites.
Dominant and most frequent species in different layers
Tree layer
Picea abies, locally with admixture of Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens, Betula pendula
Shrub layer
Juniperus communis, Ribes alpinum
Herb layer
a, b) Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Luzula pilosa, Trientalis europaea, Maianthemum bifolium, Linnaea borealis, Melampyrum sylvaticum, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Deschampsia flexuosa, Melampyrum pratense, Anemone nemorosa;
b) Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Dryopteris expansa, Phegopteris connectilis
Moss layer (incl. lichens)
a, b) Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi, Dicranum scoparium, Dicranum polysetum, Dicranum majus, Plagiochila asplenioides
Diagnostically important species
Picea abies; Vaccinium myrtillus, Linnaea borealis, Luzula pilosa, Calamagrostis arundinacea, Anemone nemorosa; Hylocomium splendens
Ecological variants
fern-rich types in cool-moist locations.
Geographical variants (geogr. differential species)
No details
Natural accompanying vegetation (most important units in complex with the name giving mapping unit, scientific names)
Pine and spruce forests (Barbilophozio-Pinetum, Cladonio-Pinetum; Chamaemoro-Piceetum, Melico-Piceetum typicum and aconitetosum); concentric mires, Sphagnum fuscum raised bogs (Finland).
Adjoining climax and permanent vegetation (with numbers of mapping units)
birch forests (C9), spruce forests (D4, D8, D15, D17), pine forests (D45, D46, D47, D48, D52), raised bogs (S18/19, S2, S15), alluvial forests (U4).
Land use, substitute communities
forestry (substitute communities, plantations of economic tree-species, scrub)
Coniferous tree plantations, pioneer and succession stages after clear felling.
grassland (meadows, pastures, herb-rich communities)
No details
arable land (characteristic weed communities)
No details
settlements (typical ruderal vegetation)
No details
Site conditions of the mapping unit
Landscape type, geomorphology
Hilly and lower mountainous country, valley slopes and valley floors as well as morainal hills
Altitudinal belt and/or altitudinal range
0 to 300 m
Geology (bedrock)
glacial sediments (Pleistocene) above Carboniferous, Permian; granite, gneiss (Precambrian)
soil type, also the depth of fine textured earth (soil), stone content; (international nomenclature)
podzole with raw humus layer, (orthic podzols)
soil moisture, water balance
fresh to moist
soil reaction
strongly to moderately acidic
soil fertility
oligotrophic, oligo-mesotrophic
Climate incl. local climate
climate type (following Walter & Lieth)
VIII(VI)2, VIII(VI)4, VIII(VI)5
average annual temperature
1-6 °C
average annual precipitation
600-1000 mm
average temperature of the warmest month
July 14-17 °C
average temperature of the coldest month
February -12 to -8 °C
local climate or other climatic peculiarities
Less precipitation in the east.
Importance for nature protection
Present state and development trend of natural vegetation (degree of endangerment)
Norway/Finland: good state of preservation, not endangered, natural forest reservations are planned.
endangered communities, species worthy of protection in natural vegetation
No details
causes of endangerment
Timber exploitation.
required measures for protection and restitution
Protection of representative stands.
Localities of representative stands (loci typici) with state of protection
of the natural vegetation
No details
of characteristic substitute communities worthy of protection
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Most important references (author, year)
Cajander 1909; Cajander & Ilvessalo 1921; Kalela 1961; Kalela & Kaliola (Ed.) 1973; Kielland-Lund 1962; Kielland-Lund 1965; Kielland-Lund 1971; Kielland-Lund 1973; Kielland-Lund 1981; Kujala 1961; Kuusipalo 1985
Compiled by
O. Vevle; Hähmet-Ahti and Karttunen
