BROAD - LEAVED FOREST PLANT COMMUNITIES IN

LATVIA

DACE SĀMĪTE

History of hardwoods in Latvia

• 8,000 – 7,800 years ago became Tilia cordata togeather with Alnus incana, A. glutinosa and Populus tremula

•7,200 years ago at the begining of Atlantic peroiod - Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior

•6,000 years ago hardwoods became established and reached their maximum distribution, even Fagus syvatica and Carpinus betulus apear in our forests

•1,500 years ago the forests covered ~80% of the area of the country and mixed broad-leaved-spruce stands predominate and until 13th century Latvian forest preserved its primeval status well

History of hardwoods in Latvia•14-16th century – intensive forest clearings for crop-growing first devasted the most fertile broad-leved forests

•18th century – due to Duchy of Courland where manufacturing and trade rapidly developed, oakwoods was total destroyed

•At the old crop-growing teretorys soil fertility foal, and hardwoods were replased by Betula pendula, Popula termula and Picea abies

Due to previous forest management in naw days forest composition is more like boreal, than it can be in our climatic and vegetation zone

Boreo-nemoral forest zone in Europe

Due to – among boreal and nemoral zone, Latvian forests represent nordic coniferous, Europ broad-leaved and mixed stands

European broad-leaved forests in Latvia

Dominant tree species are Quercus robur 0.3%*Fraxsinus excelsior 0.6%Tilia cordata 0.06%Ulmus glabra 0.03%

* - percentage from all forest stands in Latvia

Broad-leaved forest representation among forest types

0,0

10,0

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Lime Oak Ash

EME

M

E

ME

E

E

MEME

Quercus robur – oak

•Demand temperate light and worm;

•Grow moustly in riverine forests on rich soils

•Best represented in eastern part of Latvia (Lubana lake, Pededzes and Aiviekstes river)

Quercus robur forest distribution in Latvia

0.1-0.4%

0.5-0.9%

1% and more

Stand age of Quercus robur in Latvia

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age

area

(ha)

Private forest

State forest

Fraxinus excelsior - ash

•Feel good in shadoved places•Grow on carbonatic and humus rich soils•Offen make stands togeather with oak•Best represented in central and north-eastern part of Latvia

Fraxinus excelsior forest distribution in Latvia

0.1-0.4%

0.5-0.9%

1-3.9%

4% and more

Stand age of Fraxinus excelsior in Latvia

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area

(ha)

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Private forest

Tilia cordata – small-leaved limeUlmus glabra – wych elm

lime

elm

•Lime and elm monodominant forest stands meake very rear (river valleys, lake and bog islands)

•Mostly they make mixed stands togeather with oak, ash and spruce

•Elm feels good at mor shadowed and humus rich places than lime

Tilia cordata forest distribution in Latvia

0.01- 0.04%

0.05 – 0.09%

0.1% and more

Liepāja Jelgava

Bauska

Ulmus glabra forest distribution in Latvia

0.01-0.04%

0.05-0.09%

0.1% and more

Stand age of Tilia cordata in Latvia

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area

(ha)

State forest

Private forest

Broad-leaved forest characteristics

• Gap disturbance – main factor of stand development

• Total change from vernal to summer vegetation• Forest communities are similar to ones in central

Europe, the lack of some characteristic species confined to the Fagus sylvatica and Carpinus betula forests are due to geographical limitations

Diagnostic species of European broad-leaved forests

Tree species Shrub species

Ulmus glabra Euonymus europaea

Acer platanoides Lonicera xylosetum

Fraxinus excelsior Padus avium

Quercus robur Corylus avellana

Carpinus betulus

Brachypodium sylvaticum Mercurialis perennis

Carex digitata Milium effusum

Lathraea squamaria Phyteuma spicatum

Actea spicata Polygonatum multiflorum

Adoxa moschatellina Pulmonaria obscura

Allium ursinum Ranunculus lanuginosus

Asperula odorata Ranunculus cassubicus

Corydalis solida Sanicula europaea

Corydalis cava Festuca altisima

Galeobdolon luteum Dentaria bulbifera

Impatiens noli-tangere Stellaria holostea

Circaea alpina Matteuccia struthiopteris

Circaea lutetiana Carex remota

Main biodiversity structures

•Multi-layered and multi-aged tree stand

•Abundance of cryptogams on stems and trunks

•Dead wood in diferent satges of decay

•Woodpecker signs and trees with holes

•Rich shrub layer

•Many gaps

•Low admixture of conifers

•Trees with trunk diameter more than 30cm

Broad-leaved forest syntaxonomy in Latvia

Cl. Alnetea glutinosae Br.-Bl. et Tx. 1943

O. Alnetalia glutinosae Tx. 1937 em. Oberd. 1953

All. Alnion Glutinosae (Malc. 1929) Meijer Drees 1936 em.Th. Müll. et Görs 1958

Ass. Carici elongatae – Alnetum Schwick. 1936

(N. Priedītis)

Wetland forests with Fraxinus excelsior and Alnus glutinosa

Broad-leaved forest syntaxonomy in Latvia

Cl. Querco- fagetea Br.-Bl. et Vlieger em Klima 39O. Fagetalia sylvaticae Pawl. ap. Pawl. et al. 28All. Alno – Ulmion Br.-Bl. et Tx.ex Tchou 1984 em.Th.

Müll. et Görs 1958 SubAll. Alnenion glutinosae – incanae Oberd. 1953 Padus avium – Fraxinus excelsior communityGeum rivale – Fraxinus excelsior communityCarex vaginata – Fraxinus excelsior communityCrepis paludosa – Fraxinus excelsior community Mercurialis perennis - Fraxinus excelsior community

(D. Mangale, D.Sāmīte)

Broad-leaved forest syntaxonomy in Latvia

All. Carpinion betuli Oberd. 1953

Ass. Tilio-Carpinetum Traczyk 1962

All. Carpinion

Ass. Querco - Tilietum Laiviņš 1983

Hepatica nobilis – Quercus robur community

Calamagrostis arundinacea - Quercus robur community

Picea abies - Quercus robur community

(D. Sāmīte)

Broad-leaved forest syntaxonomy in Lithuania

Vaccinium vitis-idaea – Quercus robur (P. Snarskis, A. Jansons)Scorzonera humilis – Quercus roburLathyrus niger – Quercus roburPteridium aquilinum – Quercus roburPolygonatum verticilatumCampanula trachelium – Quercus roburGaleobdolon luteum – Quercus roburOxalis acetosella – Quercus roburDeschampsia cespitosa – Quercus roburPopulus tremula – Quercus roburGeum rivale – Quercus roburFilipendula ulmaria – Quercus roburCalamagrostis canescens – Quercus roburAlnus glutinosa – Quercus robur

The future of broad-leaved forest

• Forest management• Wood cultivation on agriculture land• Nature protection• Game animal influence

• PRESENT COMPOSITION AND PATTERNS OF CHANGE CAN BE DUE TO PREVIOUS MAJOR DISTURBANCES AND CHANGES IN LAND USE, WHICH HAPPENED MANY HUNDREDS, EVEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO

E. van der Maarel

Forest management in broad-leaved forests

35,225,2

130,1

16,8

35,045,3

82,5

246,2 242,1

0,615,7

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State Private State Private State Private

area

(ha)

Oak Ash

Final felling Cleaning cutting Sanitary felling

Reforestation

0,2 1,3

51,2

11,2

1,9

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60,0

Natural Artifical Natural Artifical Artifical

area

(ha)

Lime

Oak

Ash