Experiences from Lithuania

EUROPEANEUROPEAN FORESTFOREST TYPESTYPES

Technical workshop “Reporting using the new European Forest Types”

EXPERIENCESEXPERIENCES FROMFROM LITHUANIALITHUANIA

Lithuanian State Forest Service National Forest Inventory Department Gintaras Kulbokas

European forest types/Technical workshop

¾The surface is covered by quaternary rocks, originated from glacier; ¾Thickness of this layer: in the northern part - 1-5 m, in the south - up to 200-250 m; ¾The climate is comparable mild, ranging from sea to continental; ¾The hilly highlands are mixtured with plain lowlands; ¾Mean height above sea level is 99 m; ¾ Highest point being 294 m; ¾Mean annual temperature +6ºC; ¾Amount of annual precipitation 630 mm.

Area of Lithuania – 65.3 km2

European forest types/Technical workshop

Pine forest 34% Forest area 2.1 mln. ha Spruce forest 18% Birch forest 20% Aspen forest 6% Black alder forest 9% Grey alder forest 7% Oak forest 2% Ash forest 2 %

70% of the forests are stands of natural origin.

European forest types/Technical workshop

Humidity of soil: Fertility of soil: Slopes (>15º) 2% Very poor 5% Normal water regime 38% Poor 25% Temporarily overmoisture 37% Fertile 40% Overmoisture 7% Very fertile 27% Drained peatland 8% Especially fertile 3% Peatland 8%

Totally 56 forest site types

European forest types/Technical workshop

© Lithuanian State Forest Service Bordeaux, France| May 19-21, 2010 e‐mail [email protected] RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP BETWEENBETWEEN LITHUANIANLITHUANIAN SITESITE TYPESTYPES ANDAND EUROPEANEUROPEAN FORESTFOREST TYPESTYPES Lithuanian forest site types European forest types

Soil fe 2. Hemiboreal and nemoral coniferous f. Si rtility te humid 2.1 1 ity Hemiboreal Very p 2.2 Nemoral 2 oor Poor S Fertile 2.3 Nemoral forest 2,3 lopes a cl Very fe nd v rtile Scots - normal w Šae vm ater Ša ox sprucepine re Nal Šb hox aeg 5. Mesophytic decidousforest forest gime Na Šc forest Nb Šd Šf forest - 1 1 Nc 5.1 3,4 1 Nd Nf Pedunculate - 1 2 5.3 Ashwood and 3,4 3 4 m 5.8 Ravine and slopeoak forest 2,3,4 (slopes) m - hornbeam Tem La mox hornbeam porary Lb oxn oak o Lc cmh - verm 49) -ash oistured 1 Ld 11. Mire and swamp forest f. - 1 Lf forest - 2 11.1 5,6,7,8- 3 Spruce - 4 11.2 Spruce 5,7 msp l Overm msp i Pine mire forest o o Pine istured Ua cal 11.3 6,8 fil s 11.3 6,8 Ub mire forest Uc ur l Alder Ud a 11.4 - 5,6,7,8 5 5 Uf13, 14 r swamp forest e - 5 Birch - n 6 i swamp forest 6 12. Floodplain forest lsps, M - D csps, rain msps, ed cals, cs, 12.2 Fluvial forest 5,6 (river- protection) pea moxs - tland fils cirs Mams oxns urs Mb l i

7 o 7 7 Mc Md s 13. Non riverine alder, birch and aspen f. - 7 c 8 i lsp 13.1 2,3,4 csp n Pe c a Alder a g tland cir 13.3 2,3,4 Pa r forest Pb Birch forest 5 Pc O 13.4 - 2,3,4,6,8 5 Pd forest - 5 5 Aspen 5 6 - 14. Introducedforest tree species - European forest types/Technical workshop

© Lithuanian State Forest Service Bordeaux, France| May 19-21, 2010 e‐mail [email protected] EUROPEANEUROPEAN FORESTFOREST TYPESTYPES ININ LITHUANIALITHUANIA LithuanianLithuanian forestforest assessmentassessment -- 20102010 2. Hemiboreal and nemoral 5. Mesophytic decidous forest – coniferous forest – 52.1% 5.5% 2.1 Hemiboreal forest 5.1 Pedunculate oak 2.2 Nemoral Scots pine forest 5.3 Ashwood and oak 5.8 Ravine and slope forest 2.3 Nemoral spruce forest - hornbeam f. - 27.9% - -ash forest - 11. Mire and swamp forest - 12. Floodplain forest – 0.5% 0.9% - 6.4% - - 2.9% 17.8% - 17.8% 12.2 Fluvial forest - 1.7% 11.1 Spruce mire forest 13. Non riverine alder, birch and 11.2 Pine mire forest 13. Non riverine- 0.5% alder, birch and 11.3 Alder swamp forest aspen forest - 23.9% - 1.4% 11.4 Birch swamp forest 13.1 Alder forest - 3.9% 3.9% 13.3 Birch forest - - 14. Introduced tree species- 5.4% 13.4 Aspen forest6.8% - forest – 0.2% - 7.1% - 13.5% - 3.6% European forest types/Technical workshop

27.9% of forest area “Boisoil” Project-2008

Albic Aeronosol

Albic Aeronosol Gleyic Albic Podzol European forest types/Technical workshop

6.4%6.4% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

Albic Aeronosol Brunic Aeronosol

Brunic Aeronosol

European forest types/Technical workshop

17.8%17.8% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

Calcic Stagnic Luvisol

Brunic Aeronosol Calcic Epistagnic Luvisol

European forest types/Technical workshop

© Lithuanian State Forest Service Bordeaux, France| May 19-21, 2010 e‐mail [email protected] 5.5. MESOPHYTICMESOPHYTIC DECIDUOUSDECIDUOUS FORESTFOREST ININ LITHUANIALITHUANIA 5.5%5.5% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

5.1 Pedunculate oak – hornbeam forest (0.9%) 5.8 Ravine and slope forest (1,7%)

5.3 Aswood and oak-ash forest (2.9%) Calcic Endogleyic Luvisol Calcic Albic Luvisol

European forest types/Technical workshop

© Lithuanian State Forest Service Bordeaux, France| May 19-21, 2010 e‐mail [email protected] 1111..22 PINEPINE MIREMIRE FORESTFOREST ININ LITHUANIALITHUANIA 3.9%3.9% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

Leptic Fibric Histosol

European forest types/Technical workshop

5.4%5.4% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

Hemic Histosol

Luvic Calcic Histic Gleysol

European forest types/Technical workshop

7.1%7.1% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

Leptic Hemic Histosol

Luvic Histic Gleysol

European forest types/Technical workshop

23.9%23.9% ofof forestforest areaarea “Boisoil” Project-2008

13.1 Alder forest (6.8%) Calcic Luvisol Calcic Stagnic Albic Luvisol

13.4 Aspen forest (3.6%)

13.3 Birch forest (13.5%) Calcic Stagnic Calcic Stagnic Luvisol Albic Luvisol European forest types/Technical workshop

2. Hemiboreal and nemoral 5. Mesophytic decidous forest – coniferous forest – 52.1% 5.5% The main difference between hemiboreal and nemoral Lithuanian territory is divided into 2 different areas along forest types in Lithuania is fertility of soils. More edge of hornbeam habitat. Oak stands in the south part fertile Scots pine and in particular Norway spruce are joined to Oak-hornbeam forest type, Northern oak stands are classified as nemoral coniferous forest. stands are classified as ashwood and oak-ash forest. Ash stands prefer carbonated, humid, humus, gleyic also are ed 11. Mire and swamp forest - clay loam soils and join to this forest type too. 17.8% These forest types include significantly different 12. Floodplain forest – 0.5% (by site productivity) stands. There are stands Stands on overmoistured soils in water protection area on poor and more rich overmoistured mineral soils were detected during current assessment . And natural or drained peatlands. As result very Different site indexes occur in these stands for Scots pine (15-24 m) and Birch trees (14-25 m). 13. Non riverine alder, birch and aspen forest - 23.9% 14. Introduced tree species These pioneer tree species naturally occur on destroyed coniferous and hardwood broadleaves stands, and forest – 0.2% also on Pinus mugo, Pinus banksiana, Larix sp. abandoned agricultural land. N is also increasing Quercus rubra, Fagus sylvatica, Acer negundo, umber of planted birch stands . other Populus sp. and etc.

European forest types/Technical workshop