Central European mixed forests

The ecoregion covers the formerly-glaciated central plains of Central Europe, from eastern Germany and the shores of the Baltic Sea, through large parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, Southern Lithuania, Belarus, Western and Central Ukraine, and a part of Russia (in Bryansk and Kaliningrad Oblasts). The terrain is mostly flat lowlands in the center, hilly moraine-dominated in the north, and uplands to the south along the Carpathian Mountains.{{cite web|title=PA0412: Central Europe: Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Moldovia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/pa0412|publisher=World Wildlife Federation|access-date=August 14, 2018}} To the north is the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, the forests of which feature more spruce and pine. To the east is the East European forest steppe, in which the forest stands thin out into grasslands. To the south is the Carpathian montane forests ecoregion, featuring mountain pastures and forests of beech, spruce, elm, and dwarf pine. Also to the north are the Baltic mixed forests of oaks, hornbeam, and linden trees on flat, acidic soils. To the west is the Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion, which is now mostly cultivated agricultural land.

The portions of the ecoregion in Germany and western Poland have a climate that is classified as Marine west coast (Cfb). The eastern part has a climate of Humid continental climate, warm summer (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over {{convert|10|C|F}}, but no month averaging over {{convert|22|C|F}}.{{cite web|first1=M. |last1=Kottek |first2=J. |last2=Grieser |first3=C. |last3=Beck |first4=B. |last4=Rudolf |first5=F. |last5=Rubel |date=2006 |title=World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated|url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/Paper_2006.pdf|publisher=Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}{{cite web|title=Dataset - Koppen climate classifications|url=https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-maps-k%C3%B6ppen-geiger-climate-classification|publisher=World Bank|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}} The summers become hotter and the winters colder as you move east across the ecoregion, due to the movement towards the center of the continent ("continentality"). The mean January temperature is {{convert|-1|C|F}} in Germany to {{convert|-6|C|F}} in Belarus. Precipitation average between 500 mm and 700 mm, mostly falling during the summer growing season.

Oak forests are characteristic throughout the region, with some pine forests in the north. Forest cover ranges from 15% in Ukraine to 33% in the Czech Republic. The most common tree in the ecoregion, covering half of the forested area, is Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies), English oak (Quercus robur), Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus), and Silver birch (Betula pendula), which has been planted extensively over the past 200 years. The truly mixed deciduous forests which mostly consist of 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, have been replaced mostly by agriculture. The non-forested areas are largely meadows and pastures dedicated to human agricultural uses. There are also extensive wetlands in the lowlands.

The wetlands support diverse bird communities, but mammals are heavily pressured by human land use. Because of the uniformity of the terrain and openness to other regions, there are no endemic species in the ecoregion. In some countries, 20-30 of the mammal species are threatened.

File:Bison bonasus in Poland (2).JPG in Białowieża forest.]]

The Białowieża Forest on the Belarus-Poland border is home to one of the last herds of European bison, also known as wisent, the heaviest surviving wild land animal in Europe{{Cite iucn | author = Olech, W. | author2 = IUCN SSC Bison Specialist Group | title = Bison bonasus | volume = 2008 | page = e.T2814A9484719 | date = 2008 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T2814A9484719.en }}{{WWF ecoregion|id=pa0412|name=Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests}} Historically, the wisent's range encompassed all of the European lowlands, extending from the Massif Central to the Caucasus. Its range decreased as growing human populations cut down trees. The European bison became extinct in southern Sweden in the 11th century, and southern England in the 12th century. The species survived in the Ardennes and the Vosges until the 15th century before being hunted to extinction. In mid-16th century Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus pronounced a death penalty for poaching a European bison in Białowieża. Despite these measures, its population continued to decline. During World War I, occupying German troops killed 600 wisent for food, hides, and horns.{{cite web|url=http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/where/latvia/lake_pape/about/bison/index.cfm |title=Large herbivores |publisher=WWF Global |work=European bison (Bison bonasus) |date=November 13, 2005 |accessdate=January 22, 2013 |format=Internet Archive |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813121256/http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/where_we_work/europe/where/latvia/lake_pape/about/bison/index.cfm |archivedate=August 13, 2006 }} The last wild European bison in Poland was killed in 1919. They were reintroduced from captivity.Zdzsław Pucek, [https://books.google.com/books?id=GBTqfSovBacC European Bison (Bison Bonasus): Current State of the Species and Strategy for Its Conservation] published by Council of Europe, 2004, {{ISBN|92-871-5549-6}}, 978-92-871-5549-8

{{Excerpt|History of Central European forests|files=1}}

The Central European mixed forests has been affected heavily by human activity.

19.86% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Most protected areas are small and fragmented. Some of the large, or more representative, protected areas in the ecoregion include:

• Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park / Białowieża National Park, are the Belarus and Polish sides, respectively of the side of the Białowieża (Area: 1,500 km² / 150 km²)
• Białowieża Forest (Belarus, Poland), the last large fragment of Old-growth forest that used to stretch across the European Plain. (Area: 3,086 km²)
• Biebrza National Park, the largest national park in Poland, is 25% forested, the remainder is field, meadow, and marsh. (Area: 592 km²)
• Bryansky Les Nature Reserve, is an area of old-growth forest on the eastern tip of the ecoregion in Bryansk Oblast, Russia. (Area: 122 km²)
• Chernobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine (2,269 km²)
• Cozia National Park, Romania (167.25 km²)
• Drawieński National Park, Poland (113.65 km²)
• Hainich National Park, Germany (75.13 km²)
• Kampinoski National Park, Poland (384.59 km²)
• Lower Polissia National Nature Park, in northwestern Ukraine, is representative of the Polesia area of Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia. (Area: 88 km²)
• Middle Elbe Biosphere Reserve, stretches along the Elbe River in Saxon-Anhalt, Germany, covering the largest river-meadow complex in Middle Europe. (Area: 430 km²)
• Narew National Park (Poland), covers wetlands along the moraines of the Narew river, exemplifying a Braided river. (Area: 78 km²)
• Ojcowski National Park, Poland (21.56 km²)
• Orlovskoye Polesye National Park, Russia (842.05 km²)
• Podolskie Tovtry National Park, Ukraine (2613.16 km²)
• Podyjí National Park, Czech Republic (62.79 km²)
• Poleski National Park, Poland (97.7 km²)
• Prypyatskiy National Park, Belarus (634.58 km²)
• Roztoczański National Park, Poland (84.76 km²)
• Shatskiy National Park, Ukraine (325.15 km²)
• Świętokrzyski National Park, Poland (76.35 km²)
• Thayatal National Park, Austria (13.26 km²)
• Ujście Warty National Park, Poland (80.78 km²)
• Lower Oder Valley National Park, Germany
• Wielkopolski National Park, Poland (75.93 km²)
• Wigierski National Park, Poland (150.94 km²)
• Yavorivskyi National Park, Ukraine (70.78 km²)
• Žuvinto Biosphere Reserve, Lithuania (185.81 km²)

{{commons cat|Central European mixed forests}}

• {{WWF ecoregion|name=Central European mixed forests|id=pa0412}}

{{reflist}}

{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests}}

Category:Ecoregions of Austria

Category:Ecoregions of Belarus

Category:Ecoregions of the Czech Republic

Category:Ecoregions of Europe

Category:Ecoregions of Germany

Category:Ecoregions of Lithuania

Category:Ecoregions of Moldova

Category:Ecoregions of Poland

Category:Ecoregions of Romania

Category:Ecoregions of Russia

Category:Ecoregions of Ukraine

Category:Forests of Belarus

Category:Forests of Poland

Category:Palearctic ecoregions

Category:Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests