The Central European mixed forestsecoregion (WWF ID: PA0412) is a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe, from Germany to Russia. The area is only about one-third forested, with pressure from human agriculture leaving the rest in a patchwork of traditional pasture, meadows, wetlands. The ecoregion is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome, and the Palearctic realm, with a Humid Continental climate. It covers 731,154 km2 (282,300 sq mi).[2]
The ecoregion covers the formerly-glaciated central plains of Central Europe, from eastern Germany and the shores of the Baltic Sea, through large parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, Southern Lithuania, Belarus, Western and Central Ukraine, and a part of Russia (in Bryansk and Kaliningrad Oblasts). The terrain is mostly flat lowlands in the center, hilly moraine-dominated in the north, and uplands to the south along the Carpathian mountains.[2][3] To the north is the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, the forests of which feature more spruce and pine. To the east is the East European forest steppe, in which the forest stands thin out into grasslands. To the south is the Carpathian montane forests ecoregion, featuring mountain pastures and forests of beech, spruce, elm, and dwarf pine.[2] Also to the north are the Baltic mixed forests of oaks, hornbeam, and linden trees on flat, acidic soils. To the west is the Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion, which is now mostly cultivated agricultural land.
Climateedit
The portions of the ecoregion in Germany and western Poland have a climate that is classified as Marine west coast (Cfb). The eastern part has a climate of Humid continental climate, warm summer (Köppen climate classification(Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over 10 °C (50 °F), but no month averaging over 22 °C (72 °F).[4][5] The summers become hotter and the winters colder as you move east across the ecoregion, due to the movement towards the center of the continent ("continentality"). The mean January temperature is −1 °C (30 °F) in Germany to −6 °C (21 °F) in Belarus. Precipitation average between 500 mm and 700 mm, mostly falling during the summer growing season.[3]
Flora and faunaedit
Oak forests are characteristic throughout the region, with some pine forests in the north. Forest cover ranges from 15% in Ukraine to 33% in the Czech Republic.[3] The most common tree in the ecoregion, covering half of the forested area, is the Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), which has been planted extensively over the past 200 years.[3] The truly mixed deciduous forests have been replaced mostly by agriculture. The non-forested areas are largely meadows and pastures dedicated to human agricultural uses. There are also extensive wetlands in the lowlands. The wetlands support diverse bird communities, but mammals are heavily pressured by human land use. Because of the uniformity of the terrain and openness to other regions, there are no endemic species in the ecoregion. In some countries, 20-30 of the mammal species are threatened.[3]
The Białowieża Forest on the Belarus-Poland border is home to one of the last herds of European bison, also known as wisent, the heaviest surviving wild land animal in Europe[6][7] Historically, the wisent's range encompassed all of the European lowlands, extending from the Massif Central to the Caucasus. Its range decreased as growing human populations cut down trees. The European bison became extinct in southern Sweden in the 11th century, and southern England in the 12th century. The species survived in the Ardennes and the Vosges until the 15th century before being hunted to extinction. In mid-16th century Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus pronounced a death penalty for poaching a European bison in Białowieża.[8] Despite these measures, its population continued to decline. During World War I, occupying German troops killed 600 wisent for food, hides, and horns.[9] The last wild European bison in Poland was killed in 1919. They were reintroduced from captivity.[8]
Protected areasedit
The Central European mixed forests has been affected heavily by human activity.
19.86% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1] Most protected areas are small and fragmented. Some of the large, or more representative, protected areas in the ecoregion include:
Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, stretches along the Elbe River in Saxon-Anhalt, Germany, covering the largest river-meadow complex in Middle Europe. (Area: 430 km2)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Central European mixed forests.
"Central European mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
Referencesedit
^ abCentral European mixed forests. DOPA Explorer. Accessed 8 October 2022.
^ abc. Ecoregions of the World. GlobalSpecies.org. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
^ abcde"PA0412: Central Europe: Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Moldovia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine". World Wildlife Federation. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
^Kottek, M., J. Grieser, C. Beck, B. Rudolf, and F. Rubel, 2006. "World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated" (PDF). Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Dataset - Koppen climate classifications". World Bank. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
^Olech, W.; IUCN SSC Bison Specialist Group (2008). "Bison bonasus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T2814A9484719. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2814A9484719.en.
^"Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
^ abZdzsław Pucek, European Bison (Bison Bonasus): Current State of the Species and Strategy for Its Conservation published by Council of Europe, 2004, ISBN92-871-5549-6, 978-92-871-5549-8
^. European bison (Bison bonasus). WWF Global. November 13, 2005. Archived from the original (Internet Archive) on August 13, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
January 19, 2024
central, european, mixed, forests, ecoregion, pa0412, temperate, hardwood, forest, covering, much, northeastern, europe, from, germany, russia, area, only, about, third, forested, with, pressure, from, human, agriculture, leaving, rest, patchwork, traditional,. The Central European mixed forests ecoregion WWF ID PA0412 is a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe from Germany to Russia The area is only about one third forested with pressure from human agriculture leaving the rest in a patchwork of traditional pasture meadows wetlands The ecoregion is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome and the Palearctic realm with a Humid Continental climate It covers 731 154 km2 282 300 sq mi 2 Central European mixed forestsBialowieski National Park in the ecoregionEcoregion territory in purple EcologyRealmPalearcticBiomeTemperate broadleaf and mixed forestBordersList Western European broadleaf forestsCarpathian montane conifer forestsPannonian mixed forestsBalkan mixed forestsEast European forest steppePontic steppeSarmatic mixed forestsBaltic mixed forestsEuropean Atlantic mixed forestsGeographyArea727 269 km2 280 800 sq mi CountriesList AustriaBelarusCzech RepublicGermanyLithuaniaMoldovaPolandRomaniaRussiaUkraineCoordinates52 23 N 23 06 E 52 383 N 23 100 E 52 383 23 100ConservationConservation statuscritical endangeredProtected19 86 1 Contents 1 Location and description 2 Climate 3 Flora and fauna 3 1 European bison 4 Protected areas 5 External links 6 ReferencesLocation and description editThe ecoregion covers the formerly glaciated central plains of Central Europe from eastern Germany and the shores of the Baltic Sea through large parts of the Czech Republic Poland Southern Lithuania Belarus Western and Central Ukraine and a part of Russia in Bryansk and Kaliningrad Oblasts The terrain is mostly flat lowlands in the center hilly moraine dominated in the north and uplands to the south along the Carpathian mountains 2 3 To the north is the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion the forests of which feature more spruce and pine To the east is the East European forest steppe in which the forest stands thin out into grasslands To the south is the Carpathian montane forests ecoregion featuring mountain pastures and forests of beech spruce elm and dwarf pine 2 Also to the north are the Baltic mixed forests of oaks hornbeam and linden trees on flat acidic soils To the west is the Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion which is now mostly cultivated agricultural land Climate editThe portions of the ecoregion in Germany and western Poland have a climate that is classified as Marine west coast Cfb The eastern part has a climate of Humid continental climate warm summer Koppen climate classification Dfb This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer at least four months averaging over 10 C 50 F but no month averaging over 22 C 72 F 4 5 The summers become hotter and the winters colder as you move east across the ecoregion due to the movement towards the center of the continent continentality The mean January temperature is 1 C 30 F in Germany to 6 C 21 F in Belarus Precipitation average between 500 mm and 700 mm mostly falling during the summer growing season 3 Flora and fauna editOak forests are characteristic throughout the region with some pine forests in the north Forest cover ranges from 15 in Ukraine to 33 in the Czech Republic 3 The most common tree in the ecoregion covering half of the forested area is the Scots pine Pinus sylvestris which has been planted extensively over the past 200 years 3 The truly mixed deciduous forests have been replaced mostly by agriculture The non forested areas are largely meadows and pastures dedicated to human agricultural uses There are also extensive wetlands in the lowlands The wetlands support diverse bird communities but mammals are heavily pressured by human land use Because of the uniformity of the terrain and openness to other regions there are no endemic species in the ecoregion In some countries 20 30 of the mammal species are threatened 3 European bison edit nbsp Rare European bison in Bialowieza forest The Bialowieza Forest on the Belarus Poland border is home to one of the last herds of European bison also known as wisent the heaviest surviving wild land animal in Europe 6 7 Historically the wisent s range encompassed all of the European lowlands extending from the Massif Central to the Caucasus Its range decreased as growing human populations cut down trees The European bison became extinct in southern Sweden in the 11th century and southern England in the 12th century The species survived in the Ardennes and the Vosges until the 15th century before being hunted to extinction In mid 16th century Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus pronounced a death penalty for poaching a European bison in Bialowieza 8 Despite these measures its population continued to decline During World War I occupying German troops killed 600 wisent for food hides and horns 9 The last wild European bison in Poland was killed in 1919 They were reintroduced from captivity 8 Protected areas editThe Central European mixed forests has been affected heavily by human activity 19 86 of the ecoregion is in protected areas 1 Most protected areas are small and fragmented Some of the large or more representative protected areas in the ecoregion include Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park Bialowieza National Park are the Belarus and Polish sides respectively of the side of the Bialowieza Area 1 500 km2 150 km2 Bialowieza Forest Belarus Poland the last large fragment of Old growth forest that used to stretch across the European Plain Area 3 086 km2 Biebrza National Park the largest national park in Poland is 25 forested the remainder is field meadow and marsh Area 592 km2 Bryansky Les Nature Reserve is an area of old growth forest on the eastern tip of the ecoregion in Bryansk Oblast Russia Area 122 km2 Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve Ukraine 2 269 km2 Cozia National Park Romania 167 25 km2 Drawienski National Park Poland 113 65 km2 Hainich National Park Germany 75 13 km2 Kampinoski National Park Poland 384 59 km2 Lower Polissia National Nature Park in northwestern Ukraine is representative of the Polesia area of Poland Belarus Ukraine and Russia Area 88 km2 Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve stretches along the Elbe River in Saxon Anhalt Germany covering the largest river meadow complex in Middle Europe Area 430 km2 Narew National Park Poland covers wetlands along the moraines of the Narew river exemplifying a Braided river Area 78 km2 Ojcowski National Park Poland 21 56 km2 Orlovskoye Polesye National Park Poland 842 05 km2 Podolskie Tovtry National Park Ukraine 2613 16 km2 Podyji National Park Czech Republic 62 79 km2 Poleski National Park Poland 97 7 km2 Prypyatskiy National Park Belarus 634 58 km2 Roztoczanski National Park Poland 84 76 km2 Shatskiy National Park Ukraine 325 15 km2 Swietokrzyski National Park Poland 76 35 km2 Thayatal National Park Austria 13 26 km2 Ujscie Warty National Park Poland 80 78 km2 Lower Oder Valley National Park Germany Wielkopolski National Park Poland 75 93 km2 Wigierski National Park Poland 150 94 km2 Yavorivskyi National Park Ukraine 70 78 km2 Zuvinto Biosphere Reserve Lithuania 185 81 km2 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Central European mixed forests Central European mixed forests Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund References edit a b Central European mixed forests DOPA Explorer Accessed 8 October 2022 a b c Central European mixed forest Ecoregions of the World GlobalSpecies org Archived from the original on August 22 2018 Retrieved August 14 2018 a b c d e PA0412 Central Europe Austria Belarus Czech Republic Germany Lithuania Moldovia Poland Romania Russia and Ukraine World Wildlife Federation Retrieved August 14 2018 Kottek M J Grieser C Beck B Rudolf and F Rubel 2006 World Map of Koppen Geiger Climate Classification Updated PDF Gebruder Borntraeger 2006 Retrieved September 14 2019 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link CS1 maint numeric names authors list link Dataset Koppen climate classifications World Bank Retrieved September 14 2019 Olech W IUCN SSC Bison Specialist Group 2008 Bison bonasus IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008 e T2814A9484719 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2008 RLTS T2814A9484719 en Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund a b Zdzslaw Pucek European Bison Bison Bonasus Current State of the Species and Strategy for Its Conservation published by Council of Europe 2004 ISBN 92 871 5549 6 978 92 871 5549 8 Large herbivores European bison Bison bonasus WWF Global November 13 2005 Archived from the original Internet Archive on August 13 2006 Retrieved January 22 2013 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Central European mixed forests amp oldid 1192512201, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
