Scandinavian Coastal Conifer Forests

Category: Forest Biomes.

Geographic Location: Europe.

Summary: These forests are a unique habitat for Norway spruce and Scots pine, stands of which provide valuable habitat for populations of seabirds and endangered species of lichens.

This temperate, palearctic region extending along the western Norwegian coastline of Scandinavia, between Lindesnes and Senja, supports an extended coastal conifer forest. Norway is located within a much larger green belt referred to as the boreal forest, or taiga, which is one of Earth’s largest biomes; located just below the Arctic Circle, it encircles the northern parts of North America, Europe, Russia, and Asia.

Geography and Climate

The coastal topography is deeply etched as a result of successive glacial formations in the Pleistocene period. Jostedalsbreen National Park is situated at the Norwegian boundary of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, the last formation of a Pleistocene glacial mass that covered Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and Russia for over 2.5 million years, ending only 11,700 years ago.

Fluted moraines, drumlins, bedrock troughs, and deep saltwater inlets, bound by steep cliffs and verdant parallel-sided valleys, splay in ragged, fern-like patterns all along the fringes of the peninsula. Called fjords, these spectacular formations of sea and cliff lands provide a unique habitat for boreal conifers and various species of wildlife. Hundreds of rocky islands provide a variety of stippled landscapes and barren landmarks that include some of Europe’s most important rookeries for colonies of seals and seabirds.

Flora and Fauna

This subarctic region is populated by fairly homogenous forests of spruce, fir, and birch. Intermediate post-fire successional stands of various deciduous trees are also common, usually in close proximity to inland bodies of water; important species include oaks, ashes, limes, and elms. Scandinavia is noted for its forests of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Spruce forests grow in the central region of Norway; this is the only region in western Europe where these trees can be found in such dominance.

The Norway spruce is one of the world’s hardiest, fast-growing evergreens. Standing full-grown at a height over 100 feet (30 meters), its luxuriant, deep green branches hang low with cones 4–8 inches (10–20 centimeters) in length. It is a time-honored favorite choice for Christmas trees. Norway spruces in old-growth forests are hundreds of years old. Scots pines can be dated with ages in excess of 800 years. Older trees with maximum heights survive fires well; over time, boreal forests with high fire frequency develop multiple clustered diameter distributions, in contrast with old spruce forests where highly skewed diameters are noted.

Scandinavian forest grounds are scantily covered with ferns and mosses, with only a minor representation of shrubs and herbs where soils are moist. These forests are unique for the diversity of epiphytic species (those that grow on other plants) such as mosses, liverworts, and lichen species that thrive on the detritus of old-wood forest stands. Lichens are living fungi whose structures are conformed to take advantage of life forms that produce food by photosynthesis. Common partners are algae and cyanobacteria, sometimes known as blue-green algae. These organisms create unique symbiotic growth forms determined by environment and climate. They are important soil stabilizers, protecting against erosion, and they are fundamental sources of fixed nitrogen.

Lichens are fragile and they are particularly sensitive to air-borne pollutants. Their presence or absence is a valuable indicator of the relative health of a particular ecoregion. Endangered species of coniferous lichens include the Lobarion pulmonariae community—a species that only grows on Norway spruce. Pseudocyphellaria crocata, Uslea longissima, and Letharia vulpina are other endangered lichens endemic to specific boreal forest habitats.

Conifers are an important food source for insects, small mammals, migratory birds, and grazing livestock. Large mammals that may be found here include moose, elk, reindeer, red deer, wolverine, weasel, arctic fox, and red fox. Small mammals include rodents such as mouse, shrew, and various bat species. Approximately 200 bird species have been identified here, including gulls, shrike, loons, merganser, owls, rough-legged hawk, peregrine falcon, white-tailed eagle, and various woodpeckers.

Human Impact

Ancient longhouses, farmsteads, churches, and early villages constructed from wood, reed, brick, and stone—and brightly decorated with delicate woodwork relief and inlay—continue to provide fresh inspiration for contemporary architects and designers. Early northern European homemakers here uprooted peats and sods for fuel, for roof cover, and for home insulation. Some natural homesteads provided unique ecological habitats for bugs and birds; they were often reconstructed and maintained for many generations.

Today’s green roof technologies and structures here often incorporate centuries-old practices, and are an important feature of home and commercial construction in many countries world-wide. Iron ore was another important early natural resource; its mining and production required plentiful fuels for construction and smithing, which the forests amply supplied.

Over the centuries, there was increased demand for trade in particular commodities, of which sawn timber was a priority. Norwegian forests have been exploited intensively for export of roundwood, sawn timber, wood pulp, and wood tar for hundreds of years. All forest areas suffer from clear-cutting, plantation forestry, and habitat fragmentation as a consequence of urbanization, grazing, agriculture, and fire; there has been widespread destruction of important primeval habitats and ecosystems.

Norway’s productive forests are limited by geography and climate; they represent only a quarter of the country’s total land area. Over half of the land is dominated by valuable marshland, mountains, and nonproductive forest. In recent years, the planting of forest on areas that previously were used for farmland, and more sophisticated management of forest production, along with extensive planting of trees, has helped to increase the biomass quantities of Norway’s forests.

In keeping with the United Nations Year of the Forest 2011 initiative, Norway hosted the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe, also known as Forest Europe. Ministers and representatives of 42 European countries, six outside countries, and 29 international organizations convened to approve negotiations for legally binding protection measures to safeguard the biodiversity of Europe’s expansive forest lands, recognizing that forests can have significant impacts on future climate trends, both positive and negative.

Bibliography

Breidenbach, Johannes, et al. "A Century of National Forest Inventory in Norway--Informing Past, Present, and Future Decisions." Forest Ecosystems, vol. 7, 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s40663-020-00261-0. Accessed 31 Aug. 2022.

Esseen, Per-Anders, Bengt Ehnström, Lars Ericson, and Kjell Sjöberg. “Boreal Forests.” Ecological Bulletins 46 (1997).

Helle, Knut, ed. The Cambridge History of Scandinavia. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Korsmo, Harald. “Conserving Coniferous Forest in Norway: A Critical Time for International Environmental Obligations.” Ambio 20, no. 6 (1991).

Speer, Brian and Ben Waggoner. “Introduction to Lichens: An Alliance Between Kingdoms.” University of California Museum of Paleontology. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/fungi/lichens/lichens.html.