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, Palaearctic 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 Epoch. Jostedalsbreen National Park is situated in the Vestland county in western Norway within the region covered during the ice age by the Scandinavian Ice Sheet, the last formation of a Pleistocene glacial mass that covered Great Britain, Germany, Poland, and Russia, ending about 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 temperate coniferous forest ecoregion is populated by fairly homogeneous forests of spruce, pine, 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 birch, aspen, alder, and willow. 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; however, Norway spruce forests are also dominant across large parts of Northern and Central Europe.

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 often covered with mosses and lichens, with 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 bark of old trees and in old-growth forest stands. Lichens are composite organisms formed from a symbiotic association between a living fungi and 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 the environment and climate. They are important soil stabilizers, protecting against erosion, and some species containing cyanobacteria are important sources of fixed nitrogen.

Lichens are fragile, and they are particularly sensitive to airborne pollutants. Their presence or absence is a valuable indicator of the relative health of a particular ecoregion. The Lobarion pulmonariae community includes lichens such as Lobaria pulmonaria, which grows on several mature tree species, including spruce, beech, and maple. The highly threatened Pseudocyphellaria crocata, the endangered Usnea longissima, and vulnerable and threatened Letharia vulpina are other lichens found in 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 (also called elk in Europe), reindeer, red deer, wolverine, weasel, and red fox. Small mammals include rodents such as mice, as well as shrews and various bat species. Approximately 200 bird species have been identified here, including gulls, shrikes, loons, mergansers, owls, rough-legged hawks, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles, and various woodpeckers.

Human Impact

Ancient longhouses, farmsteads, churches, and early villages constructed from wood, reed thatching, 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 residents 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.

The green roof technologies and structures here often incorporate centuries-old practices, and are an important feature of home and commercial construction in many countries worldwide. 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 the export of roundwood, sawn timber, wood pulp, and wood tar for hundreds of years. Many 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. Ecological research has increasingly recognized that parts of Norway’s coastal conifer forests contain rare temperate rainforest ecosystems characterized by persistent humidity and exceptionally rich communities of mosses, lichens, and epiphytic species, many of which are considered conservation priorities.

Norway’s productive forests are limited by geography and climate; they represent roughly a quarter of the country’s total land area. Over half of the land is dominated by valuable marshland, mountains, and nonproductive forest. In the 2020s, the planting of forests on areas that previously were used for farmland, and more sophisticated management of forest production, along with extensive planting of trees, have helped to increase the biomass quantities of Norway’s forests. Studies indicate that climate change is increasingly affecting northern conifer forests, including those in Scandinavia, through rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, shifts in species distribution, and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases.

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