Western European broadleaf forests

The Western European broadleaf forests is an ecoregion in Western Europe, and parts of the Alps. It comprises temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, that cover large areas of France, Germany and the Czech Republic and more moderately sized parts of Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. Luxembourg is also part of this ecoregion.

Western European broadleaf forests
Temperate mixed forests covering the mountain slopes in Vosges du Nord Bioreserve in Alsace, France.
Ecoregion PA0445
Ecology
RealmPalearctic
Biometemperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Borders
Geography
Area492,357 km2 (190,100 sq mi)
Countries
Coordinates49.153870°N 8.875401°E / 49.153870; 8.875401
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/Endangered

Geography

The Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion covers an area of 492,357 km2 (190,100 sq mi), including the Massif Central, Central German Uplands, Jura Mountains, Bavarian Plateau, and Bohemian Massif.

This area has been inhabited for thousands of years and holds several large cities such as Lyon, Nancy and Munich. Most of the countryside has been cleared for agricultural land, cultivated with cereals (corn, wheat, oats), and to a smaller extent grapes. The ecoregion hosts a good variety of animal species, birds in particular, but most large mammals are in decline.

Forests

The forest habitats of the ecoregion comprise mainly lowland and alti-montane mixed beech forests. There is also some natural beech woods, and the region also includes small parts of sub-Mediterranean forest habitats.

  • Broadleaf forests (Teutoburger Forest, Germany)
  • Conifer in the montane parts
  • Inside the conifer forests (Black Forest, Germany)
  • European beech is abundant in many submontane parts
  • Mountain streams, rocky ground, and deciduous trees in a mix with conifer
  • Autumn
  • Many valleys have been cleared for villages and agriculture

Fauna
  • Wolf
  • Lynx
  • Wild boar
  • Stag
  • Fire salamander
  • Anthill

Status and conservation

Most of the original forest of the ecoregion has been cleared in the last 200 years, but a few larger patches remain, typically in non-arable montane areas that are part of national parks or protections. The woodlands of the ecoregion is generally second-growth and heavily fragmented.

National parks and larger nature protections in the ecoregion includes:

Eifel National Park
Winter. Palatinate Forest Nature Park.
Canopy walkways in Bavarian Forest National Park
Elbe Sandstone Mountains
Thal Nature Park
Waterfalls and gorges in Jura Mountains Regional Natural Park
Country Name
 Year[1]
 Area (km²)[2]
 IUCN category
 Notes
Germany and BelgiumHigh Fens – Eifel Nature Park19602,485107 km2 is category IICross-border protection.
Includes a Ramsar Wetland area since 2003.
Includes the Eifel National Park established in 2004.
Germany and LuxembourgGerman-Luxembourg Nature Park1964789Cross-border protection.
GermanyBergstraße-Odenwald Nature Park19603,500
GermanySpessart Nature Park19612,440
GermanySauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park[3]20153,827
GermanyArnsberg Forest Nature Park1960482
GermanyTeutoburg Forest / Egge Hills Nature Park19652,700
GermanyThuringian Forest Nature Park19792,200337 km2 is category IIIncludes a UNESCO biosphere reserve
GermanySwabian-Franconian Forest Nature Park1,270
GermanyCentral/North Black Forest Nature Park3,750101 km2 is category IIIncludes the Black Forest National Park established in 2014.
GermanySouthern Black Forest Nature Park19993,940
Germany and FrancePalatinate Forest-North Vosges Biosphere Reserve19923,018Cross-border protection.
UNESCO biosphere reserve.
A fusion of Palatinate Forest Nature Park (Germany) and Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park (France).
GermanyFranconian Switzerland-Veldenstein Forest Nature Park19952,346
GermanyBavarian Forest National Park1970243Category IIThe park connects with the Šumava National Park in Czech Republic
GermanyAltmühl Valley Nature Park19692,962
GermanyAugsburg Western Woods Nature Park19881,175
BelgiumTwo Ourthes Nature Park[4]2001760
BelgiumUpper Sure Anlier Forest Nature Park[5]2001720
BelgiumGaume Natural Park2014581
BelgiumViroin-Hermeton Nature Park120
BelgiumAttert Valley Nature Park199471
Czech Republic and GermanyElbe Sandstone Mountains1956783173 km2 is category IIA collection of several protections, including Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Saxon Switzerland National Park.
Czech Republic and GermanyLusatian Mountains1976397The Czech parts of these mountains forms the Lusatian Mountains Protected Landscape Area and the smaller German part forms the Zittau Mountain Nature Park.
Czech RepublicBohemian Paradise1955181
Czech RepublicJizera Mountains Protected Landscape Area1968368
Czech RepublicKrkonoše National Park1963550Category IIUNESCO biosphere reserve.
Connects with Karkonosze National Park in Poland
Czech RepublicBroumovsko Protected Landscape Area1991430Category V
Czech RepublicOrlické Mountains Protected Landscape Area1969204Category V
Czech RepublicJeseníky Protected Landscape Area1969740Category V
Czech RepublicŽďár Highlands Protected Landscape Area1970709Category V
Czech RepublicTřeboňsko Protected Landscape Area1979700UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Includes two Ramsar Wetland areas.
Czech RepublicBlanský Forest Protected Landscape Area1990212
Czech RepublicŠumava National Park1991681Category IIThe park connects with the Bavarian Forest National Park in Germany.
UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Czech RepublicBohemian Forest Protected Landscape Area2005473
Czech RepublicSlavkov Forest1974606
PolandKarkonosze National Park195956Category IIConnects with Krkonoše National Park in Czech Republic
PolandBóbr Valley Landscape Park1989109Category V
PolandRudawy Landscape Park1989157Category V
PolandChełmy Landscape Park1992160Category V
PolandSudety Wałbrzyskie Landscape Park199865Category V
PolandOwl Mountains Landscape Park199181Category V
PolandStołowe Mountains National Park199363Category II
SwitzerlandParc Jura vaudois
SwitzerlandDoubs Nature Park
SwitzerlandChasseral Regional Park
SwitzerlandThal Nature Park
SwitzerlandAargau Jura Park2012241
SwitzerlandSchaffhausen Regional Nature Park
FranceThe Ardennes Regional Nature Park[6]20011,172
FranceLorraine Regional Natural Park19742,050
FranceBallons des Vosges Nature Park19892,700
FranceThe IllWald, regional nature reserve201319
FranceJura Mountains Regional Natural Park19861,641
FranceThe Bauges Massif Regional Nature Park[7]1995856
FranceChartreuse Regional Nature Park1995767
FranceGrands Causses Natural Regional Park[8]19953,285
FranceAubrac Natural Regional Park[9]19672,207
FranceAuvergne Volcanos Regional Park[10]19773,950
FranceMorvan Regional Natural Park19702,850
FranceMillevaches Regional Nature Park in Limousin[11]20043,140
FranceForêt d'Orient Regional Nature Park1970820
FranceForêts National Park20192,500

Luxembourg maintains the Upper Sûre Natural Park, but this park covers mostly the Upper Sûre Lake, an artificial dam created in 1959, and no land area of significance. The lake is an important bird area. Luxembourg also holds part of the cross-border German-Luxembourg Nature Park in addition to several smaller nature reservations. Here eco-typical patches of forest are growing.

Austria does not have any protections in this ecoregion.

gollark: Er, it will allow them to *go in*.
gollark: Yes.
gollark: Downtime!
gollark: It might be a bit confusing since they'll collide with each other.
gollark: Should I display codes with them?
  • "Western European broadleaf forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.

References
  1. Note that the year given here, marks the earliest establishment. Several protections has been expanded later on.
  2. Note that forest might not cover all of the protected area.
  3. "Naturpark Sauerland Rothaargebirge" (in German). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  4. "Le Parc naturel des deux Ourthes" (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  5. "Parc naturel Haute-Sûre Forêt d'Anlier" (in French). Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  6. "Parc naturel régional des Ardennes" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  7. "Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  8. "Parc naturel régional des Grands Causses" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  9. "Parc naturel régional Aubrac" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  10. "Parc naturel régional des Volcans d'Auvergne" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  11. "Parc naturel régional de Millevaches en Limousin" (in French). Fédération des Parcs naturels régionaux de France. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
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