Broadleaved bog woodland on acid peat
Quick facts
Red List habitat type | code RLG1.5 |
---|---|
Threat status | |
Europe | Vulnerable |
EU | Vulnerable |
Relation to |
|
Source | European Red List habitat factsheet |
European Red List of habitats reports | |
European Red List of habitats (Excel table) |
Summary
This habitat is broadleaved deciduous woodland on wet acid, oligotrophic peat on the surfaces of bogs or transition mires, around pools and along laggs throughout the Atlantic and into the Boreal zones; more locally, where ground water conditions permit, it occurs also in the Continental zone. The woodland is typically dominated by Betula pubescens, the canopy is often only a few metres tall and the trees sometimes have a naturally decrepit appearance, infected early with Piptoporus. Alnus glutinosa is generally excluded from the canopy because of nutrient shortage. There is never more than a minority component of conifers, though Pinus sylvestris increasingly replaces Betula as the dominant in similar situations in the colder Boreal zone and as a pioneer species in Massif central. Deciduous woody associates, such as shrubby Salix spp. and Frangula alnus can occur, though typically at low cover and never forming an extensive understorey. The field layer generally shows strong continuity with the adjacent bog vegetation and can be quite luxuriant but more shade-tolerant species gain the ascendancy under the birch canopy, sometimes producing a rather species-poor cover of, for example, tussocks of Molinia caerulea. The often extensive carpets of Sphagnum on lower wetter ground between the trees include some distinctive species such as S. fimbriatum and S. russowii. Only naturally developed stands should be included here (primary stands and secondary stands due to older/ former changes in hydrology) and drying or cut-over bogs onto which Betula and other tree species spread in the past should be considered as poorer-quality examples of bog forests. Young succession stages or stages without stabilized hydrology are not considered under this type.
Indicators of quality:
- Intact (semi)natural hydrology
- Absence of forest exploitation
- Typical structure and composition of canopy with an open or patchy cover with dying and keeling birch trees are natural
- Typical flora and fauna composition of the region, especially a field layer typical of wet acid peat without any indication of drying, eutrophicaqtion or pollution, for example the overwhelming spread of Molinia caerulea
- Absence of non-native tree species and absence of invasive aliens in all layers (fauna, flora), such as conifers or non-native Rhododendron such as happens where bogs have been drained.
Threat status
Synthesis of Red List assessment
EU | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1 |
Europe | |
Red List Category | Red List Criteria |
Vulnerable | A1 |
Confidence in the assessment
Pressures and threats
- Sylviculture, forestry
- Forest and Plantation management & use
- Forest replanting
- Forestry clearance
- Mining, extraction of materials and energy production
- Peat extraction
- Pollution
- Air pollution, air-borne pollutants
- Nitrogen-input
- Natural System modifications
- Modification of hydrographic functioning, general
- Water abstractions from groundwater
- Climate change
- Changes in abiotic conditions
- Temperature changes (e.g. rise of temperature & extremes)
- Droughts and less precipitations
Habitat restoration potential
Trends in extent |
|
Average current trend in quantity |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Trends in quality |
|
Average current trend in quality |
|
Decreasing ![]() |
Decreasing ![]() |
EU28 | EU28+ |
Conservation and management needs
Grazing has to be prohibited because of regeneration problems and destruction of the Sphagnum layer. Even where the habitat covers large surfaces, a restoration of the hydrological conditions followed by strict protection (no forestry nor agriculture use) seems appropriate, because forestry on such wet soils implies drainage, and is not compatible with the habitat conservation. This approach is even more important in area where the habitat is rare (south-western part of the distribution area), and rare remaining sites have to be strictly protected.
List of conservation and management needs
- Measures related to forests and wooded habitats
- Restoring/Improving forest habitats
- Measures related to wetland, freshwater and coastal habitats
- Restoring/Improving water quality
- Restoring/Improving the hydrological regime
- Measures related to spatial planning
- Establish protected areas/sites
- Legal protection of habitats and species
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 | 1 | Unknown | Unknown |
Belgium | Present | 7.5 | Increasing | Increasing |
Croatia | Present | Fragments | Unknown | Unknown |
Czech Republic | Present | 18 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Finland mainland | Present | 1513 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Germany | Present | 200 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Ireland | Present | 1 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Italy mainland | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Latvia | Present | unknown | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Lithuania | Present | 200 | Decreasing | Stable |
Slovakia | Present | 5.7 | Unknown | Decreasing |
Sweden | Present | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
United Kingdom | Present | 50 | Stable | Stable |
Northern Island | Present | 50 | Stable | Stable |
Bulgaria | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Denmark | Present | 47 | Decreasing | Unknown |
Estonia | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
France mainland | Present | 30 | Increasing | Increasing |
Netherlands | Present | 17 | Increasing | Increasing |
Poland | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Romania | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Aland Islands | Uncertain | 1513 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Luxembourg | Uncertain | - | - | |
Slovenia | Present | 0.03 | Unknown | Decreasing |
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 | 0.2 | Decreasing | Decreasing |
Norway Mainland | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Switzerland | Present | 3 | Unknown | Decreasing |
Kaliningrad | Present | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Serbia | Uncertain | unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Extent of Occurrence, Area of Occupancy and habitat area
Extent of Occurrence (EOO) (Km2) | Area of Occupancy (AOO) | Current estimated Total Area | Comment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EU28 | 8713550 | 12648 | 3500 | AOO and EOO incl. potential distribution |
EU28+ | 12667 | 3550 | AOO and EOO incl. potential distribution |
EOO = the area (km2) of the envelope around all occurrences of a habitat (calculated by a minimum convex polygon).