| Atlantic mixed forests | |
|---|---|
 Forest Domaniale de Desvres,France | |
 Location of the ecoregion (in purple) | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Palearctic |
| Biome | temperate broadleaf and mixed forests |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 380,246 km2 (146,814 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | critical/endangered[1] |
| Protected | 59,657 km2 (16%)[2] |
TheAtlantic mixed forests is a terrestrialecoregion in western Europe. It extends along the western edge of continental Europe, from southwesternFrance through northern France,Belgium, theNetherlands, northwesternGermany, and westernDenmark. 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.[1]
The ecoregion covers an area of 380,246 km2. The terrain is generally flat or gently rolling, except inBrittany where the terrain is hilly and the coast is rocky. In several places, notably theLandes forest in southwestern France, dunes extended inland for miles from the shore.[1]
The climate istemperate andmaritime.
Mixed oak forests are typical, withQuercus robur,Betula pendula andBetula pubescens prevalent on acidic soils, andQ. robur andFagus sylvatica on other soils. In the southern portion of the ecoregionQuercus petraea andQ. pubescens are also present. In the northern part of the ecoregionAbies alba also occurs.Pinus pinaster grows naturally on sandy soils, and has been planted extensively to stabilize dunes, along withPinus sylvestris. Heathlands dominated byCalluna vulgaris,Ulex andJuniperus communis occur in coastal areas subject to wind and salt spray.[1] Substantial areas of the German, Danish and Dutch parts of the ecoregion used to be covered with extensivebogs, which now have been mostly destroyed for agriculture.
The original forests hosted a large variety of animals. Large mammals native to the region includered deer,roe deer andwild boar. Wolves[3] andlynx are returning in parts of this region.Wisents are reintroduced as well.[4] Formerly it was also inhabited bybrown bears,eurasian elk, and the now globally extinctaurochs. Seasonally, harborporpoise from the North Sea follow the rivers deeply into the country's interior.[5]
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The forests are home toblackbird,blue tit,great tit,common chaffinch,firecrest,black woodpecker,black stork,goshawk,eurasian sparrowhawk,little owl,eagle-owl, among others. The golden eagle used to live here as well, but was exterminated. Mammals such aspine marten,wood mouse, badger, andEuropean wildcat call the forests home, as do insects likecockchafer,stag beetle anddor beetle.
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The region's numerous rivers and streams are inhabited by fish species such asNorthern pike,common roach orbream. Formerly widespread migratory fish such asAtlantic salmon,sea trout,European sea sturgeon,allis shad or theEuropean eel are now all endangered due to factors includinghabitat destruction and fragmentation byhydropower,pollution andforeign disease.Otters andbeavers were exterminated, but are now making a comeback. Aquatic invertebrates include thegreat ramshorn and the endangeredfreshwater pearl mussel. Examples for birds associated with wetlands, rivers and other bodies of water includewhite stork,white-tailed eagle,little ringed plover and numerous species of duck, e.g. themallard.
TheWadden Sea 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 likeAeshna subarctica,Agonum ericeti,Agriades optilete, amphibians like themoor frog and birds such ascommon snipe,swamp harrier,golden plover.
Open landscapes such as fields, heaths and meadows, whose extent was probably expanded by anthropogenic deforestation following theintroduction of farming to the region, are the preferred habitat of species such asgrey partridge,red kite andEuropean hare. Many of these species are now endangered due to modernized agricultural practices.
59,657 km2, or 16%, of the ecoregion is inprotected areas. Another 19% of the ecoregion's area is forested but unprotected.[2]
In France, the system ofregional 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 includeArmorique,Brenne, Boucles de la Seine normande, Caps et Marais d'Opale,Causses du Quercy [fr;nl], 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 includeDe Alde Feanen,De Biesbosch,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,Sallandse Heuvelrug,Schiermonnikoog,Utrechtse Heuvelrug,Veluwezoom,Weerribben-Wieden, andZuid-Kennemerland national parks.[6]
Lüneburg Heath (Lüneburger Heide) in northern Germany includes area of heathland, bog, anddowny oak forest, as well as coppiced woodlands and pine plantations.
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.[7] The WWF's system combines them into one Atlantic mixed forests ecoregion, with the same external boundary.
Media related toEuropean Atlantic mixed forests at Wikimedia Commons