Bog woodland

Description (English)

Coniferous and broad-leaved forests on a humid to wet peaty substrate, with the water level permanently high and even higher than the surrounding water table. The water is always very poor in nutrients (raised bogs and acid fens). These communities are generally dominated by Betula pubescens, Frangula alnus, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus rotundata and Picea abies, with species specific to bogland or, more generally, to oligotrophic environments, such as Vaccinium spp., Sphagnum spp., Carex spp. Vaccinio-Piceetea: Piceo-Vaccinienion uliginosi (Betulion pubescentis, Ledo-Pinion) i.a. In the Boreal region, also spruce swamp woods, which are minerotrophic mire sites along margins of different mire complexes, as well as in separate strips in valleys and along brooks.
Subtypes :
Pal. 44.A1 - Sphagnum birch woods
Pal. 44.A2 - Scots pine mire woods
Pal. 44.A3 - Mountain pine bog woods
Pal. 44.A4 - Mire spruce woods
In most of the Irish sites, these forests represent sub types of raised bogs, generally degraded and invaded by commercial forestry species; however, those stands dominated by Betula pubescens or Pinus sylvestris may be of interest. In Greece, formations with Pinus sylvestris are confined to the northern mountains, where forests of Picea abies on a sphagnum rich ground layer also occur.