The Carpathian montane conifer forests, also known as Carpathian montane forests, is a
temperate coniferous forests
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters, and vary in their kinds of plant life. In some, needl ...
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 ...
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
,
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, and
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
.
Geography
The ecoregion covers an area of 125,337 km². It is surrounded by
temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions.
These f ...
ecoregions in the neighboring lowlands. The
Central European mixed forests
The Central European mixed forests ecoregion (WWF ID: PA0412) is a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe, from Germany to Russia. The area is only about one-third forested, with pressure from human agriculture leaving the r ...
lie to the north, east, and southeast. The
Pannonian mixed forests
The Pannonian mixed forests is a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion in Europe. It covers an area of 307,720 km2 in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Croatia.
...
occupy the
Pannonian plain
The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only the ...
and
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
to the west and southwest. The
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains ( ro, Munții Apuseni, hu, Erdélyi-középhegység) is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians, also called ''Occidentali'' in Romanian. Their name translates from Ro ...
in Transylvania form an outlier. The Balkan mixed forests share a small border to the south, in western
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
.
Flora
The plant communities in the Carpathians occur in elevational zones, with some variation from range to range, and from north to south.
Foothill forests below 600–650 meters elevation are mostly of broadleaf deciduous trees, principally
English oak
''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...
Quercus cerris
''Quercus cerris'', the Turkey oak or Austrian oak, is an oak native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. It is the type species of ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris'', a section of the genus characterised by shoot buds surrounded by soft bristle ...
,
Quercus pubescens
''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 fo ...
'', and ''
Quercus frainetto
''Quercus frainetto'' ( syn. ''Quercus conferta'' Kit., ''Quercus farnetto'' Ten.), commonly known as the Hungarian oak or Italian oak, is a species of oak, native to southeastern Europe (parts of Italy, the Balkans, parts of Hungary, Romania) a ...
'' – in the southern portion of the range.
Montane forests occur between 600 and 1100 meters elevation in the northern range, and between 650 and 1450 m in the south.
European beech
''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.
Description
''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...
(''Fagus sylvatica'') and
silver fir
Silver fir is a common name for several trees and may refer to:
*''Abies alba
''Abies alba'', the European silver fir or silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Car ...
(''Abies alba'') are the characteristic trees, along with Norway spruce (''Picea abies'') and sycamore maple (''Acer pseudoplatanus''). Nearly pure stands of European beech occur in some ranges, including the
White Carpathians
The White Carpathians ( cs, Bílé Karpaty; sk, Biele Karpaty; german: Weiße Karpaten; hu, Fehér-Kárpátok) are a mountain range on the border of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, part of the Carpathians.
They are part of the Slovak-Moravian ...
and
Little Carpathians
The Little Carpathians (also: ''Lesser Carpathians'', sk, Malé Karpaty; german: Kleine Karpaten; hu, Kis-Kárpátok) are a low, about 100 km long, mountain range, part of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountains are situated in Western Slov ...
in the western Carpathians, the
Vihorlat
Vihorlat Mountains ( sk, Vihorlatské vrchy; ua, Вигорлат, ''Vyhorliat'') or colloquially Vihorlat is a volcanic mountain range in eastern Slovakia and western Ukraine. A part of the range is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Etymolog ...
,
Bukovec Bukovec may refer to:
Places Croatia
*Bukovec, a village in the municipality of Selnica, Međimurje County
* Bukovec Zelinski, a village, Zagreb County
* Mali Bukovec, a municipality and village, Varaždin County
* Veliki Bukovec, a municipality ...
, and Biesczady mountains in the Eastern Carpathians, and areas of the southern Carpathians. In other areas the conifers silver fir and Norway spruce are predominant, including the
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains (), Tatras, or Tatra (''Tatry'' either in Slovak () or in Polish () - '' plurale tantum''), are a series of mountains within the Western Carpathians that form a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are the hi ...
,
Moravian-Silesian Beskids
The Moravian-Silesian Beskids (Czech: , sk, Moravsko-sliezske Beskydy) is a mountain range in the Czech Republic with a small part reaching to Slovakia. It lies on the historical division between Moravia and Silesia, hence the name. It is part o ...
, and Orava Magura in the western Carpathians and the
Gorgany
Gorgany ( uk, Ґорґани) is a mountain range in Western Ukraine in Outer Eastern Carpathians, adjacent to Chornohora range. The highest peak of Gorgany is Syvulia (1,836 m) with the other high peaks including Ihrovyshche, (1,804 m), (1 ...
and
Bistrița Mountains
The Bistrița Mountains ( ro, Munții Bistriței; hu, Besztercei-havasok) are mountain ranges in northern central Romania.
Geologically these ranges are considered part of the Inner Eastern Carpathians group of the Eastern Carpathians. Within ...
in the eastern Carpathians.
The subalpine zone, between 1100 and 1400 meters elevation in the north and 1400 and 1900 meters in the south, is dominated by Norway spruce, with lesser numbers of rowan (''Sorbus aucuparia''). At the timberline (1400 meters elevation in the north and 1900 meters in the south) arolla pine (''Pinus cembra'') predominates. In the Tatras the timberline forests are a mix of arolla pines and
European larch
''Larix decidua'', the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains as well as the Pyrenees, with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania. It ...
(''Larix decidua''). Krummholtz grows above the timberline, with
mountain pine
''Pinus mugo'', known as bog pine, creeping pine, dwarf mountain pine, mugo pine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine, or Swiss mountain pine, is a species of conifer, native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and S ...
(''Pinus mugo''), dwarf juniper (''Juniperus communis'' subsp. ''alpina''), and
green alder
''Alnus alnobetula'' is a common tree widespread across much of Europe, Asia, and North America. Many sources refer to it as ''Alnus viridis'', the green alder, but botanically this is considered an illegitimate name synonymous with ''Alnus alno ...
(''Alnus alnobetula'' subsp. ''fruticosa''). Above the krummholtz are alpine meadows. In the Bieszczady Mountains there is no Norway spruce zone, and dwarfed beeches transition directly to alpine meadows above 1200 meters elevation. The highest peaks are rocky, with some sparse alpine plants and lichens.
Fauna
The Carpathian montane forests are one of the most sizable refuges in Central Europe for large predators and raptors, including
brown bear
The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...
(''Ursus arctos''),
wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
(''Canis lupus''),
Eurasian lynx
The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an eleva ...
(''Lynx lynx''),
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 i ...
(''Felis silvestris''), and
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known birds of ...
(''Aquila chrysaetos''). The
Tatra chamois
The Tatra chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica''; sk, Kamzík vrchovský tatranský; pl, Kozica tatrzańska) is a subspecies of the chamois of the genus '' Rupicapra''. Tatra chamois live in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and Poland.
Popula ...
(''Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica'') is a subspecies of goat-antelope endemic to the Tatra Mountains. Small populations of
European bison
The European bison (''Bison bonasus'') or the European wood bison, also known as the wisent ( or ), the zubr (), or sometimes colloquially as the European buffalo, is a European species of bison. It is one of two extant species of bison, along ...
(''Bison bonasus'') range free in the Carpathians. Other large herbivores 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 we ...
(''Cervus elaphus hippelaphus'') and
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 ...
(''Capreolus capreolus'').
Protected areas
A 2017 assessment found that 29,488 km², or 24%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include Low Tatras National Park,
Muránska planina National Park
Muránska planina National Park ( sk, Národný park Muránska planina) is one of the youngest national parks in Slovakia. The core area measures 21,318 ha and the protective belt 21,698 ha. It includes 14 smaller protected territories. The headq ...
Poloniny National Park
Poloniny National Park ( sk, Národný park Poloniny) is a national park in northeastern Slovakia at the Polish and Ukrainian borders, in the Bukovské vrchy mountain range, which belongs to the Eastern Carpathians. It was created on 1 October 1 ...
in Slovakia,
Bieszczady National Park
Bieszczady National Park (; pl, Bieszczadzki Park Narodowy) is the third-largest national park in Poland, located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship in the extreme southeast corner of the country. In 2021, the national park became a UNESCO World Heri ...
in Poland,
Carpathian National Nature Park
The Carpathian National Nature Park ( uk, Карпатський національний природний парк) is a National Park located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. The park was established on 3 June 1980 to protect landscapes ...
,
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve ( uk, Карпатський біосферний заповідник) is a biosphere reserve that was established as a nature reserve in 1968 and became part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO in 1 ...
,
Cheremosh National Nature Park
, iucn_category = II
, photo = Один на горі.jpg
, photo_caption = Mountain forests, fields, and meadows, Cheremosh Mountain National Park
, photo_width = 300
, map = Ukraine
, relief = yes
, map_caption = Location of Park
, loca ...
Uzhanian National Nature Park
Uzhanskyi National Nature Park ( uk, Ужанський національний природний парк) is a protected area in Ukraine. It is located in Velykyi Bereznyi Raion of Zakarpattia Oblast, at the border with Poland and Slovakia. Th ...
Apuseni Natural Park
The Apuseni Natural Park ( ro, Parcul Natural Apuseni) is a protected area ( natural park category V IUCN) situated in Romania, in the administrative territory of counties Alba, Bihor and Cluj.
Location
The Natural Park is located in western ...
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
-designated
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
that includes several old-growth beech forests in the Carpathians, along with beech forests in other parts of Europe.