TheFlora of Lithuania is estimated to comprise about 10,600 species. About 1,350 of these arevascular plants; about 335 arebryophytes; and about 2,000 arealgae.Lichens are represented by about 500 species, andfungi by about 6,400 species. About 550 of these species are consideredextinct orthreatened. Protected areas now cover more than 12% of the territory of Lithuania.
Lithuania lies both in theboreal and the broadleaved (angiosperm)forest belts. A variety of species are therefore found within its relatively small territory, including species characteristic of the southerntaiga. The occurrence of thehornbeam speciesCarpinus betulus marks the border between the predominantly broadleaved zone in the south and the coniferous zone in the north.
Forest cover in Lithuania has waxed and waned along with its fortunes; as a general rule, times of prosperity led to deforestation for agricultural uses. This tendency was seen during theSoviet occupation; forest cover was about 20% in 1948, and increased to about 30% by 1990, when Lithuania regained its independence. It has since been relatively stable. The general consensus ofscientific opinion is that the optimum forest cover for Lithuania is about 33%.
Conifers constitute about 60% of the total forest area. They are concentrated in the northern, western, and eastern, and far southern sections of the country. The principal conifers areScots Pine at about 40%, andNorway Spruce at about 20%.
Broadleaf trees dominate in the central areas of the country.Birches constitute about 18% of the total, followed byBlack Alder (about 8%) andEuropean Aspen (about 8%);oak,ash, andelm make up the remainder.
Old growth forests are relatively rare in Lithuania, numbering about 100. Data collected in 1998 suggested that these forests occupied about 580 km2.
About 5% of Lithuania is covered bywetlands; a number of these are classified aspeat bogs, with about 6,700 distinct areas. Characteristic species of the peat bogs includeScheuchzeria palustris,Eriophorum (cotton-grass),sundew,cloudberry,cranberry species, andAndromeda polifolia (bog-rosemary).
The peat bogs are sometimes subject toforest fires in the summer; about 280 such fires were noted between 1994 and 1999.
Riparian andlacustrine (aquatic) flora present in Lithuania includeduckweed,horsetails,bullrushes,sedges, andgrasses.
The principal crop plants in Lithuania arerye,wheat,oats,barley,peas,potatoes,sugar beet, andflax. About 46% of the country is covered by cropland.
In addition to these major crops, variousmushroom species are harvested; several species of berries are harvested, sometimes from the wild; andCommon Hawthorn,Thyme, andHypericum are important medicinal species.
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Crop weeds in Lithuania includeHordeum vulgare (spring barley),Capsella bursa-pastoris,Chenopodium album,Papaver rhoeas,Sinapis arvensis,Spergula arvensis, andViola arvensis.Galinsoga parviflora is one of the most troublinginvasive species.