Baltic mixed forests
{{short description|Ecoregion in Europe}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
| name = Baltic mixed forests
| image = File:2019 - Nationalpark Jasmund - 04.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Lowland mixed beech forest in a coastal climate
(Jasmund National Park in Germany)
| country = Denmark
| country1 = Sweden
| country2 = Germany
| country3 = Poland
| state =
| border = Sarmatic mixed forests
| border1 = European Atlantic mixed forests
| border2 = Central European mixed forests
| bird_species =
| mammal_species =
| habitat_loss =
| habitat_loss_ref =
| protected =
| protected_ref =
| area = 116550
| biogeographic_realm = Palearctic
| biome = Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
| conservation = Critical/Endangered
| map = File:Ecoregion PA0405.svg
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Ecoregion PA0405
| coordinates = {{coord|54|13|N|12|56|E|display=inline,title}}
|footnotes =
}}
The Baltic mixed forests is an ecoregion in Europe along the southwestern coasts of the Baltic Sea. The name was coined by the European Environment Agency.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} The same geographical area is designated as "Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland" ecoregion by the WWF.
Distribution
Despite the name, Baltic mixed forests are not found in any of the Baltic countries. These countries are instead dominated by the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, with the exception of southern Lithuania, which is within the northern reaches of the Central European mixed forests.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IxHL-nOWCCwC&dq=Baltic+mixed+forests&pg=PA11|title=Sustainable Use of Forest Biomass for Energy: A Synthesis with Focus on the Baltic and Nordic Region|last1=Röser|first1=Dominik|last2=Asikainen|first2=Antti|last3=Stupak|first3=Inge|last4=Parsanen|first4=Karri|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2008|isbn=9781402050541|editor-last=Röser|editor-first=Dominik|location=Dordrecht, Netherlands|pages=11|language=en|chapter=Forest Energy Resources and Potential|editor-last2=Asikainen|editor-first2=Antti|editor-last3=Raulund-Rasmussen|editor-first3=Karesten|editor-last4=Stupak|editor-first4=Inge}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zl8kFOQReGsC&dq=Baltic+mixed+forests+fauna&pg=PA47|title=Traditional Rural Biotopes in the Nordic Countries, the Baltic States and the Republic of Karelia: An International Seminar and Workshop in Turku May 2-May 4, 2000|last=Pivoriunas|first=Danelius|publisher=Nordic Council of Ministers|year=2000|isbn=9789289305600|editor-last=Ikonen|editor-first=Iiro|location=Copenhagen, Denmark|pages=47|language=en|editor-last2=Lammi|editor-first2=Antti}} Rather, Baltic mixed forests are found along the western and southern shores of the Baltic Sea, comprising northwestern Poland, northeastern Germany, eastern Denmark and the very southernmost tip of Sweden.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W--iAgAAQBAJ&dq=Baltic+mixed+forests&pg=PA111-IA6|title=Functional Assessment of Wetlands: Towards Evaluation of Ecosystem Services|last=Maltby|first=E.|date=2009-04-27|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9781845695163|editor-last=Maltby|editor-first=Edward|series=Woodhead Publishing in Environmental Management|location=Boca Raton, FL, Boston, MA, New York and Washington DC|pages=111:9|language=en}} More specifically, they are common in lowland areas on the eastern side of the Danish peninsula and submontane areas north of the Elbe and Oder Rivers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0405|title=Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland|last=|first=|date=1 June 2013|website=World Wildlife Fund|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501061533/http://worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0405 |archive-date=2013-05-01 |access-date=27 September 2019}}
Flora
The ecoregion's natural habitat type is lowland to submontane beech and mixed beech forests. For the beech, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is dominant. Other tree species that mix in, covers a broad array of mostly deciduous trees, but also conifer to a small extent. Oak, elm, ash, linden, maple, hazel, rowan and birch are common among the many deciduous trees mixed in with beech.{{Cite journal|last1=Dinuls|first1=Romans|last2=Erins|first2=Gatis|last3=Lorencs|first3=Aivars|last4=Mednieks|first4=Ints|last5=Siņica- Siņavskis|first5=Juris|date=2012-04-01|title=Tree Species Identification in Mixed Baltic Forest Using LiDAR and Multispectral Data|journal=IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260580807|volume=5|issue=2|pages=594–603|doi=10.1109/JSTARS.2012.2196978|bibcode=2012IJSTA...5..594D |s2cid=42356100}}
File:Ramsløg 01.JPG|Early spring in a Baltic mixed forest
File:Store Hareskov - Looking north-west along Borgmosevej.jpg|Autumn and leaf fall
File:Misty path.JPG|Winter
File:Havreballe Skov (bæk).jpg|The forest floor
File:Svampe i Marselisborgskoven.jpg|Beech forests are home to a plethora of fungi species (honey fungi)
File:Nyudsprunget bøg i Riisskov.JPG|European beech is predominant for the natural state of this ecoregion
Fauna
A large assortment of animals, mainly mammals, are found in this ecoregion. Among them are species such as red foxes, grey wolves, beech marten's, red deer and european polecats.{{Cite book |last=Baagøe |first=Hans Jensen |title=Dansk Pattedyratlas |publisher=Gyldendal |year=2007 |location=Copenhagen |language=Danish}}https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279531339_De_forste_analyser_af_ulvens_Canis_lupus_fode_i_Danmark Hundreds of species of birds are also found in these forests, including but not limited to various species of woodpeckers, owls, tits, corvids and warblers. {{Cite web |title=Denmark bird checklist - Avibase - Bird Checklists of the World |url=https://avibase.bsc-eoc.org/checklist.jsp?lang=EN&p2=2&list=clements&synlang=®ion=DK&version=images&lifelist=&highlight=0 |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=avibase.bsc-eoc.org}}
Ecological challenges
According to a 2015 study into the effect of climate change on the Baltic Sea Basin, the changes in temperature and precipitation patterns are likely to change the south-western Baltic forest's flora considerably, with a shift in the natural species composition towards more drought tolerant species, leading to a decrease in species diversity and a decrease in groundwater recharge. Similarly, the fauna of the region will also be adversely affected, due to the Baltic region's particularly sensitive nature to changes in salinity, which can have a cascading effect on food webs and interaction between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sl_2BwAAQBAJ&dq=Baltic+mixed+forests+fauna&pg=PA302|title=Second Assessment of Climate Change for the Baltic Sea Basin|last1=Pekka|first1=Niemelä|last2=Tolvanen|first2=Harri|last3=Rönkä|first3=Mia|last4=Kellomäki|first4=Seppo|last5=Krug|first5=Joachim|last6=Schurgers|first6=Guy|last7=Lehikoinen|first7=Esa|last8=Kalliola|first8=Risto|publisher=Springer|year=2015|isbn=9783319160061|editor-last=von Storch|editor-first=Hans|series=Regional Climate Studies|location=Cham, Switzerland|pages=291–301|language=en|chapter=Environmental Impacts—Coastal Ecosystems, Birds and Forests|editor-last2=Omstedt|editor-first2=Anders}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests}}