Western European broadleaf forests

Ecoregion in Western Europe

Western European broadleaf forests

Temperate mixed forests covering the mountain slopes in Vosges du Nord Bioreserve in Alsace, France.

Ecoregion PA0445

Ecology
Realm| Palearctic
Biome| temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Borders|

List

* Central European mixed forests
* Pannonian mixed forests
* Alps conifer and mixed forests
* Northeast Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests
* Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests
* European Atlantic mixed forests

Geography
Area| 492,357 km2 (190,100 sq mi)
Countries|

List

* Poland
* Czech Republic
* Austria
* Germany
* Switzerland
* France
* Luxembourg
* Belgium
* Netherlands

Coordinates| 49°09′14″N 8°52′31″E﻿ / ﻿49.153870°N 8.875401°E﻿ / 49.153870; 8.875401
Conservation
Conservation status| Critical/Endangered

The Western European broadleaf forests is an ecoregion in Western Europe, and parts of the Alps. It comprises temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, that cover large areas of France, Germany and the Czech Republic and more moderately sized parts of Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and South Limburg (Netherlands). Luxembourg is also part of this ecoregion.

## Geography

[edit]

The Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion covers an area of 492,357 km2 (190,100 sq mi), including the Massif Central, Central German Uplands, Jura Mountains, Bavarian Plateau, and Bohemian Massif.

This area has been inhabited for thousands of years and holds several large cities such as Lyon, Nancy and Munich. Most of the countryside has been cleared for agricultural land, cultivated with cereals (corn, wheat, oats), and to a smaller extent grapes. The ecoregion hosts a good variety of animal species, birds in particular, but most large mammals are in decline.

## Forests

[edit]

The forest habitats of the ecoregion comprise mainly lowland and alti-montane mixed beech forests. There is also some natural beech woods, and the region also includes small parts of sub-Mediterranean forest habitats. The dominant trees in this forest are Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Picea abies, Alnus glutinosa, Fagus sylvatica, Taxus baccata, Acer pseudoplatanus, Malus sylvestris, Viburnum lantana, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata, Aesculus hippocastanum, Rhamnus cathartica, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus minor, Populus alba, Salix alba, Pinus sylvestris, Betula pendula, Populus tremula, Populus nigra, Juglans regia, Juniperus communis, Prunus padus and Corylus avellana

* Broadleaf forests (Teutoburger Forest, Germany)

* Conifer in the montane parts

* Inside the conifer forests (Black Forest, Germany)

* European beech is abundant in many submontane parts

* Mountain streams, rocky ground, and deciduous trees in a mix with conifer

* Autumn

* Many valleys have been cleared for villages and agriculture

## Fauna

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (September 2019)

|

* Wolf

* Lynx

* Wild boar

* Stag

* Fire salamander

* Anthill

## Status and conservation

[edit]

Most of the original forest of the ecoregion has been cleared in the last 200 years, but a few larger patches remain, typically in non-arable montane areas that are part of national parks or protections. The woodlands of the ecoregion is generally second-growth and heavily fragmented.

National parks and larger nature protections in the ecoregion includes:

Eifel National Park Winter. Palatinate Forest Nature Park. Canopy walkways in Bavarian Forest National Park Elbe Sandstone Mountains Thal Nature Park Waterfalls and gorges in Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park Country  | Name
| Year[1]
| Area (km2)[2]
| IUCN category
| Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Germany and Belgium | High Fens – Eifel Nature Park | 1960 | 2,485 | 107 km2 is category II | Cross-border protection.
Includes a Ramsar Wetland area since 2003.
Includes the Eifel National Park established in 2004.
Germany and Luxembourg | German-Luxembourg Nature Park | 1964 | 789 |  | Cross-border protection.
Germany | Bergstraße-Odenwald Nature Park | 1960 | 3,500 |  |
Germany | Spessart Nature Park | 1961 | 2,440 |  |
Germany | Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park[3] | 2015 | 3,827 |  |
Germany | Arnsberg Forest Nature Park | 1960 | 482 |  |
Germany | Teutoburg Forest / Egge Hills Nature Park | 1965 | 2,700 |  |
Germany | Thuringian Forest Nature Park | 1979 | 2,200 | 337 km2 is category II | Includes a UNESCO biosphere reserve
Germany | Swabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park |  | 1,270 |  |
Germany | Central/North Black Forest Nature Park |  | 3,750 | 101 km2 is category II | Includes the Black Forest National Park established in 2014.
Germany | Southern Black Forest Nature Park | 1999 | 3,940 |  |
Germany and France | Palatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve | 1992 | 3,018 |  | Cross-border protection.
UNESCO biosphere reserve.
A fusion of Palatinate Forest Nature Park (Germany) and Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park (France).
Germany | Franconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park | 1995 | 2,346 |  |
Germany | Bavarian Forest National Park | 1970 | 243 | Category II | The park connects with the Šumava National Park in Czech Republic
Germany | Altmühl Valley Nature Park | 1969 | 2,962 |  |
Germany | Augsburg Western Woods Nature Park | 1988 | 1,175 |  |
Belgium | Two Ourthes Nature Park[4] | 2001 | 760 |  |
Belgium | Upper Sure Anlier Forest Nature Park[5] | 2001 | 720 |  |
Belgium | Gaume Natural Park | 2014 | 581 |  |
Belgium | Viroin-Hermeton Nature Park |  | 120 |  |
Belgium | Attert Valley Nature Park | 1994 | 71 |  |
Czech Republic and Germany | Elbe Sandstone Mountains | 1956 | 783 | 173 km2 is category II | A collection of several protections, including Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Czech Republic and Germany | Lusatian Mountains | 1976 | 397 |  | The Czech parts of these mountains forms the Lusatian Mountains Protected Landscape Area and the smaller German part forms the Zittau Mountain Nature Park.
Czech Republic | Bohemian Paradise | 1955 | 181 |  |
Czech Republic | Jizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area | 1968 | 368 |  |
Czech Republic | Krkonoše National Park | 1963 | 550 | Category II | UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Connects with Karkonosze National Park in Poland
Czech Republic | Broumovsko Protected Landscape Area | 1991 | 430 | Category V |
Czech Republic | Orlické Mountains Protected Landscape Area | 1969 | 204 | Category V |
Czech Republic | Jeseníky Protected Landscape Area | 1969 | 740 | Category V |
Czech Republic | Žďár Highlands Protected Landscape Area | 1970 | 709 | Category V |
Czech Republic | Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area | 1979 | 700 |  | UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Includes two Ramsar Wetland areas.
Czech Republic | Blanský Forest Protected Landscape Area | 1990 | 212 |  |
Czech Republic | Šumava National Park | 1991 | 681 | Category II | The park connects with the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany.
UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Czech Republic | Bohemian Forest Protected Landscape Area | 2005 | 473 |  |
Czech Republic | Slavkov Forest | 1974 | 606 |  |
Poland | Karkonosze National Park | 1959 | 56 | Category II | Connects with Krkonoše National Park in Czech Republic
Poland | Bóbr Valley Landscape Park | 1989 | 109 | Category V |
Poland | Rudawy Landscape Park | 1989 | 157 | Category V |
Poland | Chełmy Landscape Park | 1992 | 160 | Category V |
Poland | Sudety Wałbrzyskie Landscape Park | 1998 | 65 | Category V |
Poland | Owl Mountains Landscape Park | 1991 | 81 | Category V |
Poland | Stołowe Mountains National Park | 1993 | 63 | Category II |
Switzerland | Parc Jura vaudois |  |  |  |
Switzerland | Doubs Nature Park |  |  |  |
Switzerland | Chasseral Regional Park |  |  |  |
Switzerland | Thal Nature Park |  |  |  |
Switzerland | Aargau Jura Park | 2012 | 241 |  |
Switzerland | Schaffhausen Regional Nature Park |  |  |  |
France | The Ardennes Regional Nature Park[6] | 2001 | 1,172 |  |
France | Lorraine Regional Natural Park | 1974 | 2,050 |  |
France | Ballons des Vosges Nature Park | 1989 | 2,700 |  |
France | The IllWald, regional nature reserve | 2013 | 19 |  |
France | Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park | 1986 | 1,641 |  |
France | The Bauges Massif Regional Nature Park[7] | 1995 | 856 |  |
France | Chartreuse Regional Nature Park | 1995 | 767 |  |
France | Grands Causses Natural Regional Park[8] | 1995 | 3,285 |  |
France | Aubrac Natural Regional Park[9] | 1967 | 2,207 |  |
France | Auvergne Volcanos Regional Park[10] | 1977 | 3,950 |  |
France | Morvan Regional Natural Park | 1970 | 2,850 |  |
France | Millevaches Regional Nature Park in Limousin[11] | 2004 | 3,140 |  |
France | Forêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park | 1970 | 820 |  |
France | Forêts National Park | 2019 | 2,500 |  |

Luxembourg maintains the Upper Sûre Natural Park, but this park covers mostly the Upper Sûre Lake, an artificial dam created in 1959, and no land area of significance. The lake is an important bird area. Luxembourg also holds part of the cross-border German-Luxembourg Nature Park in addition to several smaller nature reservations. Here eco-typical patches of forest are growing.

Austria does not have any protections in this ecoregion.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western European broadleaf forests.

* "Western European broadleaf forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Note that the year given here, marks the earliest establishment. Several protections has been expanded later on.
2. ^ Note that forest might not cover all of the protected area.
3. ^ "Naturpark Sauerland Rothaargebirge" (in German). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
4. ^ "Le Parc naturel des deux Ourthes" (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
5. ^ "Parc naturel Haute-Sûre Forêt d'Anlier" (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
6. ^ "Parc naturel régional des Ardennes" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
7. ^ "Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
8. ^ "Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
9. ^ "Parc naturel régional Aubrac" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
10. ^ "Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
11. ^ "Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregions

Western Europe|

* Apennine
* Atlantic
* Azores
* Baltic
* Cantabrian
* Celtic
* English Lowlands
* Madeira
* North Atlantic
* Po Basin
* Pyrenees
* Western European

Eastern Europe|

* Balkan
* Central European
* Crimean Submediterranean
* Dinaric Mountains
* East European forest steppe
* Pannonian
* Rodope
* Sarmatic

West Asia|

* Caspian Hyrcanian
* Caucasus
* Central Anatolian
* Eastern Anatolian
* Euxine–Colchic
* Zagros Mountains

East Asia|

* Central China loess plateau
* Central Korean
* Changbai Mountains
* Changjiang Plain
* Daba Mountains
* Hokkaidō
* Huang He Plain
* Manchurian
* Nihonkai evergreen
* Nihonkai montane
* Northeast China Plain
* Qin Ling Mountains
* Sichuan Basin
* South Sakhalin–Kurile
* Southern Korea
* Taiheiyo evergreen
* Taiheiyo montane
* Tarim Basin
* Ussuri
* West Siberian

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template