Subalpine deciduous scrub
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLF2.3 |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Least Concern |
EU | Least Concern |
Relation to |
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Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
This habitat type comprises (sub)alpine and (sub)arctic alder (Alnus viridis), willow (Salix spp.), dwarf birch (Betula nana) and other deciduous scrub. Also Potentilla fruticosa dominated scrub that appears in the Bulgarian mountains (F2.336) is included. The stand height of the habitat in most cases is between 1 and 5 meters. Low dwarf willow communities are excluded from this habitat and instead included in type F2.1. Also excluded in the (sub)alpine and (sub)arctic belts are willow scrub on alluvial soils (habitat F9.1) and willow scrub in waterlogged fens and mires (habitat F9.2). Alnus viridis scrub is found throughout the subalpine belts of all mountain ranges of central Europe. This shrub is a pioneer species in humid sites on deeper soils that are regularly disturbed, like on steep, north-exposed slopes where avalanches occur occasionally. On sites cleared by avalanches, Alnus viridis may be found in lower (montane) altitudes as well. It is found in the Alps and Carpathians. On Corsica a different subspecies Alnus viridis subsp. suaveolens grows in a similar habitat. Salix species (S. appendiculata, S. glabra, S. hastata, S. waldsteiniana) may dominate a lower shrub layer or – in lower altitudes – form its own scrub type in similar sites. The type contains several Salix species that are (regional) rare in the temperate mountain regions. Accompanying species are often from tall herb communities, for example, Adenostyles alliariae or Cicerbita alpina, or from subalpine heathlands. In the southern outcrops of the Alps and along the Dinarides, Rhamnus fallax dominates communities of this habitat. In the subarctic and boreal regions on similar slopes Salix lapponum, Salix glauca, Salix hastata, Salix phylicifolia may grow in a mixture of tall-herb species and Vaccinium myrtillus, Phyllodoce caerulea, and/or Juniperus communis. The same willows are found along creeks and rivers, as part of the habitat alluvial scrub (F9.1). The geological substrate of the habitat is diverse, covering for example both marl and limestone. The habitat appears in open sites with high soil moisture and moderate-rich in nutrients. The species of the type are well adapted to low temperature and snow accumulation. These deciduous scrubs are the pioneer communities on screes and in areas cleared by avalanches because the shrub species are able to regrow from roots and stumps. Therefore, they also have a significant role in the prevention of erosion and snow slides. Propitious sites for these communities can be found also along streams because of humidity, small soil partitions and disturbance caused by the water stream. The habitat can also appear as a succession stage in subalpine pastures or meadows, where grazing or haymaking is no longer maintained. These communities are mainly of secondary origin. But as they survive snow slips better than tree species, they can build permanent (paraclimatic) communities under the influence of avalanches or streams, in sites where tree species cannot survive.
Indicators of quality:
These habitats are mainly of secondary origin. They are threatened by logging or burning, erosion or snow slips, and channeling of streams, as well as by succession towards forest. The following characteristics can be considered as indicators of good quality:
species richness of shrub species,
presence of breeding birds and other fauna,
long-term maintenance because of natural disturbance regime.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Least Concern | - |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Agriculture
- Abandonment of pastoral systems, lack of grazing
- Human intrusions and disturbances
- Mountaineering & rock climbing
- Skiing complex
- Natural biotic and abiotic processes (without catastrophes)
- Erosion
- Species composition change (succession)
- Climate change
- Temperature changes (e.g. rise of temperature & extremes)
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Increasing ![]() |
Increasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to agriculture and open habitats
- Maintaining grasslands and other open habitats
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Measures related to urban areas, industry, energy and transport
- Specific management of traffic and energy transport systems
Distribution
Geographic occurrence and trends
EU28 | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Austria | Present | unknown | Stable | Unknown |
Bulgaria | Present | 0.42 | Increasing | Increasing |
Croatia | Present | 3 | Stable | Stable |
Czech Republic | Present | 0.6 | Stable | Stable |
France mainland | Present | 300 | Unknown | Increasing |
Germany | Present | unknown | Stable | Stable |
Italy mainland | Present | 45 | Stable | Stable |
Slovakia | Present | 0.6 | Stable | Stable |
Slovenia | Present | 20 | Stable | Stable |
Spain mainland | Present | 0.82 | Stable | Stable |
United Kingdom | Present | 0.12 | Stable | Increasing |
Finland mainland | Present | 170 | Decreasing | Stable |
Poland | Present | 0.2 | Stable | Stable |
EU28 + | Present or presence uncertain | Current area of habitat (Km2) | Recent trend in quantity (last 50 years) | Recent trend in quality (last 50 years) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Present | 5 | Increasing | Increasing |
Switzerland | Present | 650 | Stable | Increasing |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | >50000 | >50 | 541 | |
EU28+ | >50 | 1196 |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).
Characteristic species
Species scientific name | English common name | Species group |
---|---|---|
Juniperus communis | Conifers | |
Dryopteris dilatata | Ferns | |
Acer pseudoplatanus | Flowering Plants | |
Adenostyles alliariae | Flowering Plants | |
Alnus viridis | Flowering Plants | |
Betula nana | Flowering Plants | |
Cicerbita alpina | Flowering Plants | |
Doronicum austriacum | Flowering Plants | |
Geranium sylvaticum | Flowering Plants | |
Geum coccineum | Flowering Plants | |
Geum rivale | Flowering Plants | |
Geum urbanum | Flowering Plants | |
Hypericum maculatum | Flowering Plants | |
Lonicera alpigena | Flowering Plants | |
Lonicera xylosteum | Flowering Plants | |
Milium effusum | Flowering Plants | |
Phyllodoce caerulea | Flowering Plants | |
Polygonatum verticillatum | Flowering Plants | |
Potentilla fruticosa | Flowering Plants | |
Rhamnus fallax | Flowering Plants | |
Ribes alpinum | Flowering Plants | |
Salix alpina | Flowering Plants | |
Salix appendiculata | Flowering Plants | |
Salix bicolor | Flowering Plants | |
Salix caesia | Flowering Plants | |
Salix foetida | Flowering Plants | |
Salix glabra | Flowering Plants | |
Salix glauca | Flowering Plants | |
Salix glaucosericea | Flowering Plants | |
Salix hastata | Flowering Plants | |
Salix helvetica | Flowering Plants | |
Salix laggeri | Flowering Plants | |
Salix lapponum | Flowering Plants | |
Salix phylicifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Salix silesiaca | Flowering Plants | |
Salix waldsteiniana | Flowering Plants | |
Saxifraga rotundifolia | Flowering Plants | |
Sorbus aucuparia | Flowering Plants | |
Sorbus chamaemespilus | Flowering Plants | |
Stellaria nemorum | Flowering Plants | |
Vaccinium myrtillus | Flowering Plants | |
Veratrum album | Flowering Plants | |
Viola biflora | Flowering Plants |
Legal status
Relation to other habitat types mentioned in legal instruments
Vegetation types
Relation to vegetation types (syntaxa)
Not availableOther classifications
Classification | Code | Habitat type name | Relationship type |
---|---|---|---|
EUNIS Habitat Classification 200711 | F2.3 | Subalpine deciduous scrub | same |