Temperate and continental Pinus sylvestris woodland

These are Pinus sylvestris woodlands with patchy occurrence across the hemiboreal and northern temperate zone of Europe. This light-demanding tree has a competitive advantage on more nutrient-poor soils that are less favourable to Picea abies or broad-leaved deciduous trees, or are beyond their geographical range. The pine canopy is often rather open in southern Scandinavia, more closed to the west in Scotland and further south where the woodland occurs across north Germany, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania and into Ukraine and Russia. Unable to rejuvenate beneath denser canopies or in a thick moss and litter carpet, the pine is naturally dependent on fire or canopy clearance for regeneration, so even-aged groves are common. Common associates in the canopy are Betula pendula, B. pubescens, Populus tremula, Juniperus communis and Sorbus aucuparia. Other local Sorbus spp., Quercus robur and Frangula alnus are found more commonly further south. Beneath, there is a cover of Vaccinium myrtillus, V. vitis-idaea, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Rubus saxatilis and Melampyrum pratense together with more thermophilous nemoral plants such as Hepatica nobilis, Melica nutans, Anemone nemorosa, Carex digitata and Epipactis atrorubens. Contrasts in soils also exert an influence on the associated flora, a dry grassland and meadow contingent with basiphilous species characterizing the pine woodlands of limestones with rendzinas in southern Sweden, Öland and Gotland, while more calcifuge species appearing on the podzols of the outwash plains, periglacial deposits and river terraces of the northern European plain – Luzula pilosa, Pyrola chlorantha, Carex digitata, Hylocomium splendens, Dicranum scoparium, D. polysetum and Pleurozium schreberi. On the inland sands of Poland, psammophytic pine woodlands have Peucedanum oreoselinum, Anthericum ramosum and Dianthus carthusianorum. In some subtypes extensive cover of lichens can occur with mostly Cetraria and Cladonia species.

Indicators of quality:

• No forest exploitations (if applicable, mainly azonal types with high nature value).
• Natural composition of canopy.
• Structural diversity/ complexity with (semi)natural age structure or completeness of layers.
• Typical flora and fauna composition of the region.
• Presence of old trees and a variety of dead wood (lying or standing) and the associated flora, fauna and fungi.
• Presence of natural disturbance such as treefall openings with natural regeneration.
• Long historical continuity (ancient woodland) with high species diversity.
• Survival of larger stands of forest without anthropogenic fragmentation and isolation (to support fauna which need large undisturbed forests).
• Absence of non-native species in all layers (flora and fauna).
• No signs of eutrophication or pollution.
• No signs of acidification (relevant mainly for oligotrophic or acidic types).
• No man-induced very high population levels of ungulates.

Synthesis of Red List assessment

Confidence in the assessment

Pressures and threats