| Baltic mixed forests | |
|---|---|
 Lowland mixed beech forest in a coastal climate (Jasmund National Park in Germany) | |
 Ecoregion PA0405 | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Palearctic |
| Biome | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 116,550 km2 (45,000 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Coordinates | 54°13′N12°56′E / 54.217°N 12.933°E /54.217; 12.933 |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/Endangered |
TheBaltic mixed forests is anecoregion inEurope along the southwestern coasts of theBaltic Sea. The name was coined by theEuropean Environment Agency.[citation needed] The same geographical area is designated as "Northern Europe: Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Poland" ecoregion by theWWF.
Despite the name, Baltic mixed forests are not found in any of theBaltic countries. These countries are instead dominated by theSarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, with the exception of southernLithuania, which is within the northern reaches of theCentral European mixed forests.[1][2] Rather, Baltic mixed forests are found along the western and southern shores of theBaltic Sea, comprising northwesternPoland, northeasternGermany, easternDenmark and the very southernmost tip ofSweden.[3] More specifically, they are common inlowland areas on the eastern side of theDanish peninsula andsubmontane areas north of theElbe andOder Rivers.[4]
The ecoregion's natural habitat type is lowland to submontanebeech andmixed beech forests. For the beech, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) is dominant. Other tree species that mix in, covers a broad array of mostlydeciduous trees, but alsoconifer to a small extent.Oak,elm,ash,linden,maple,hazel,rowan andbirch are common among the many deciduous trees mixed in with beech.[5]
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A large assortment ofanimals, mainlymammals, are found in this ecoregion. Among them arespecies such asred foxes,grey wolves,beech martens,red deer andeuropean polecats.[6][7] Hundreds of species ofbirds are also found in these forests, including but not limited to various species ofwoodpeckers,owls,tits,corvids andwarblers.[8]
According to a 2015 study into the effect ofclimate 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 naturalspecies composition towards more drought tolerant species, leading to a decrease inspecies diversity and a decrease ingroundwater 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.[9]
Media related toBaltic mixed forests at Wikimedia Commons