The Atlantic mixed forests is a terrestrial
ecoregion
An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
in western Europe. It extends along the western edge of continental Europe, from southwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
through northern France,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, northwestern
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, and western
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
. Most of the region's forests and dunes have been converted to fields, pastures, and forest plantations, and its once-extensive wetlands have mostly been drained and filled.
[
]
Geography
The ecoregion covers an area of 380,246 km2. The terrain is generally flat or gently rolling, except in Brittany
Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
where the terrain is hilly and the coast is rocky. In several places, notably the Landes forest in southwestern France, dunes extended inland for miles from the shore.[
]
Climate
The climate is temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
and maritime
Maritime may refer to:
Geography
* Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps
* Maritime Region, a region in Togo
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
.
Flora
Mixed oak forests are typical, with '' Quercus robur'' and '' Betula pendula'' prevalent on acidic soils, and ''Q. robur'' and '' Fagus sylvatica'' on other soils. In the southern portion of the ecoregion '' Quercus petraea'' and '' Q. pubescens'' are also present. '' Pinus pinaster'' grows naturally on sandy soils, and has been planted extensively to stabilize dunes, along with '' Pinus sylvestris''. Heathlands occur in coastal areas subject to wind and salt spray.[ Substantial areas of the German, Danish and Dutch parts of the ecoregion used to be covered with extensive ]bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
s, which now have been mostly destroyed for agriculture.
File:Grau und Braundünen auf Spiekeroog - Nationalpark Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer.jpg, coastal dunes
File:Glittenberger Moor.jpg, bog
File:Forest in Andaines, Orne, France - 20040502.jpg, beech forest
Fauna
The original forests hosted a large variety of animals. Large mammals native to the region include red deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
, roe deer
The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
and wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...
. Wolves and lynx
A lynx is a type of wild cat.
Lynx may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Lynx (constellation)
* Lynx (Chinese astronomy)
* Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory
Places Canada
* Lynx, Ontar ...
are returning in parts of this region. Wisents are reintroduced as well. Formerly it was also inhabited by brown bears, eurasian elk
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
, and the now globally extinct aurochs
The aurochs (''Bos primigenius'') ( or ) is an extinct cattle species, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of the largest herbivores in the Holocen ...
. Seasonally, harbor porpoise
Porpoises are a group of fully aquatic marine mammals, all of which are classified under the family Phocoenidae, parvorder Odontoceti (toothed whales). Although similar in appearance to dolphins, they are more closely related to narwhals an ...
from the North Sea follow the rivers deeply into the country's interior.
File:Cervus elaphus Luc Viatour 6.jpg, red deer
File:Weilburg - Tiergarten - Elch.jpg, eurasian elk used to occur in the region, but are now extirpated
File:Wisents (Bison bonasus) in wood Almindingen on island Bornholm 2.jpg, wisent
File:Aurochs liferestoration.jpg, Aurochs are now extinct as a wild species
File:Juraparc 06-07-2013 - Bear resting.jpg, Brown bear
File:00 5781 Wolfsrudel.jpg, grey wolf
The forests are home to blackbird, blue tit, great tit, common chaffinch, firecrest, black woodpecker
The black woodpecker (''Dryocopus martius'') is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region. Its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the ...
, black stork, goshawk, eurasian sparrowhawk
The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...
, little owl
The little owl (''Athene noctua''), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at ...
, eagle-owl
The American (North and South America) horned owls and the Old World eagle-owls make up the genus ''Bubo'', at least as traditionally described. The genus name ''Bubo'' is Latin for the Eurasian eagle-owl.
This genus contains 19 species that ar ...
, among others. The golden eagle used to live here as well, but was exterminated. Mammals such as pine marten, wood mouse, badger, and European wildcat
The European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') is a small wildcat species native to continental Europe, Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus. It inhabits forests from the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Central and Eastern Europe to the Caucasus. Its fur is ...
call the forests home, as do insects like cockchafer, stag beetle
Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies.Smith, A.B.T. (2006). A review of the family-group names for the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera) with corrections ...
and dor beetle.
File:ParusCaeruleus.jpg, blue tit
File:Melolontha melolontha Gemeiner Maikäfer 3.jpg
File:BlackWoods.jpg, black woodpecker
File:Apodemus sylvaticus (Sardinia).jpg, wood mouse
The region's numerous rivers and streams are inhabited by fish species such as Northern pike
The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
, common roach or bream. Formerly widespread migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon (''Salmo salar'') is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Salmonidae. It is the third largest of the Salmonidae, behind Siberian taimen and Pacific Chinook salmon, growing up to a meter in length. Atlantic salmon are ...
, sea trout
Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous (sea-run) forms of brown trout (''Salmo trutta''), and is often referred to as ''Salmo trutta'' morpha ''trutta''. Other names for anadromous brown trout are sewin (Wales), peel or peal ...
, European sea sturgeon
The European sea sturgeon (''Acipenser sturio''), also known as the Atlantic sturgeon or common sturgeon, is a species of sturgeon native to Europe. It was formerly abundant, being found in coastal habitats all over Europe. It is anadromous and b ...
, allis shad or the European eel
The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel, a snake-like, catadromous fish. They are normally around and rarely reach more than , but can reach a length of up to in exceptional cases.
Eels have been important sources of fo ...
are now all endangered due to factors including habitat destruction and fragmentation by hydropower
Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by energy transformation, converting the Pot ...
, pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
and foreign disease. Otters and beavers were exterminated, but are now making a comeback. Aquatic invertebrates include the great ramshorn and the endangered freshwater pearl mussel. Examples for birds associated with wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water include white stork
The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...
, white-tailed eagle
The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Palearctic, Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diur ...
, little ringed plover
The little ringed plover (''Charadrius dubius'') is a small plover. The genus name ''Charadrius'' is a Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate. It derives from Ancient Greek ''kharadrios'' a bird found in river ...
and numerous species of duck, e.g. the mallard
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Arge ...
.
The Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea ( nl, Waddenzee ; german: Wattenmeer; nds, Wattensee or ; da, Vadehavet; fy, Waadsee, longname=yes; frr, di Heef) is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern conti ...
area on the northern coast is important for migratory birds.
The peat bogs in the northern part of the ecoregion have a specialized fauna consisting of insects like '' Aeshna subarctica'', ''Agonum ericeti
''Agonum ericeti'' is a species of ground beetle in the Platyninae subfamily that can be found in all Europe except for Spain and Portugal.
Description
Beetle length is from , a width not exceeding . The upper body is usually one colour, bronze ...
'', ''Agriades optilete
''Agriades optilete'', the cranberry blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in north eastern Europe, the Alps, North Asia, Japan, Korea and north western North America.
The length of the forewings is about 14 mm. The b ...
'', amphibians like the moor frog
The moor frog (''Rana arvalis'') is a slim, reddish-brown, semiaquatic amphibian native to Europe and Asia. Moor frogs are known for their ability to freeze solid and survive thawing. The frog makes use of various cryoprotectants i.e. antifreeze ...
and birds such as common snipe, swamp harrier, golden plover
'' Pluvialis '' is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere.
In breeding plumage, they all have largely black underparts, and golden or silvery upperparts. Th ...
.
Open landscapes such as fields, heaths and meadows, whose extent was probably expanded by anthropogenic deforestation following the introduction of farming to the region, are the preferred habitat of species such as grey partridge, red kite and European hare. Many of these species are now endangered due to modernized agricultural practices.
Protected areas
59,657 km2, or 16%, of the ecoregion is in protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
s. Another 19% of the ecoregion's area is forested but unprotected.[
In France, the system of regional nature parks preserves biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. Regional nature parks include farms and villages as well as forests, heathlands and wetlands. Regional nature parks in the Atlantic mixed forests include Armorique, Brenne, Boucles de la Seine normande, Caps et Marais d'Opale, , Gâtinais français, Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, Landes de Gascogne, Loire-Anjou-Touraine, Marais Du Cotentin Et Du Bessin, Marais poitevin, Montagne de Reims, Oise-Pays de France, Perche, Vallée de la Scarpe et de l'Escaut avesnois, and Vexin français.
Protected areas in the Netherlands include De Alde Feanen, ]De Biesbosch
De Biesbosch National Park is one of the largest national parks of the Netherlands and one of the last extensive areas of freshwater tide, tidal wetlands in Northwestern Europe. The Biesbosch ('forest of Scirpus, sedges' or 'rushwoods') consis ...
, De Groote Peel, De Hoge Veluwe, De Loonse en Drunense Duinen, De Maasduinen, De Meinweg, Drents-Friese Wold, Duinen van Texel, Dwingelderveld, Drentsche Aa, Nieuw Land, Oosterschelde
The Eastern Scheldt ( nl, Oosterschelde) is a former estuary in the province of Zeeland, Netherlands, between Schouwen-Duiveland and Tholen on the north and Noord-Beveland and Zuid-Beveland on the south. It also features the largest national ...
, Sallandse Heuvelrug
Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park is a national park in the Dutch province of Overijssel, located between the townships of Hellendoorn and Holten. In 2004, the Dutch Government changed the status of the area to National Park. The park is mainly ma ...
, Schiermonnikoog
Schiermonnikoog (; fry, ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland a ...
, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Veluwezoom, Weerribben-Wieden, and Zuid-Kennemerland national parks.["Atlantic mixed forests"]
DOPA Explorer. Accessed 8 June 2022.
Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath (german: Lüneburger Heide) is a large area of heath, geest, and woodland in the northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover and Bremen a ...
(''Lüneburger Heide'') in northern Germany includes area of heathland, bog, and downy oak
''Quercus pubescens'', the downy oak or pubescent oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain (Pyrenees) east to the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is also fou ...
forest, as well as coppiced woodlands and pine plantations.
Ecoregion delineation
The European Environment Agency's Digital Map of European Ecological Regions (DMEER) designates two Atlantic forest ecoregions – the Northern Temperate Atlantic and Southern Temperate Atlantic.["DMEER: Digital Map of European Ecological Regions". European Environment Agency, 12 November 2009. Accessed 29 April 2020]
/ref> The WWF's system combines them into one Atlantic mixed forests ecoregion, with the same external boundary.
External links
*
References
{{Paleartic temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Ecoregions of Denmark
Ecoregions of France
Ecoregions of Germany
Ecoregions of Belgium
Flora of Denmark
Flora of the Netherlands
Palearctic ecoregions
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests