Restoration of forests - Restoration Ecology - page 125

Table 10.1 Potential natural vegetation (PNV) in central Europe and Germany. Data shown are the percentage of
land area, without lakes, rivers or glaciers. A value of 0 means that the vegetation type is present, but covers less
than 0.1%. Calculations are based on BfN data from the Map of the Natural Vegetation of Europe (BfN 2000). Data
for Germany are for June 2001 and those for central Europe are for May 2002.

Code PNV unit Land area (%)

Europe Germany

A Polar deserts and subnival-nival vegetation of high mountains 0.4 —

B Arctic tundras and alpine vegetation 5.3 0.1

C Subarctic, boreal and nemoral-montane open woodlands 3.3 0

D (Hygro)mesophytic coniferous and mixed broad-leaved/coniferous forests 30.7 1.3

E Atlantic dwarf shrub heaths 0.2 —

F Mesophytic deciduous broad-leaved and mixed coniferous/broad-leaved forests 24.6 87.4

G Thermophilous mixed deciduous broad-leaved forests 5.9 0

H Hygro-thermophilous mixed deciduous broad-leaved forests 0.1 —

J Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests and shrub 5.4 —

K Xerophytic coniferous forests and shrub 0.4 0.1

L Forest steppes and dry grasslands 4.1 —

M Steppes 9.7 —

N Oroxerophytic vegetation (thorn-cushion communities, mountain steppes) 0.1 —

O Deserts 1.6 —

P Coastal vegetation and inland halophytic vegetation 0.6 0.1

R Tall reed vegetation and tall sedge swamps, aquatic vegetation 0.4 —

S Mires 2.8 0.3

T Swamp and fen forests 0.5 1.7

U Vegetation of floodplains, estuaries and freshwater polders 4.3 8.8

10.2 A history of European forests and
forest utilization

settled by the so-called tundra-steppe. Trees and
forests survived the ice age in southern Europe,
with a few needle trees (e.g. Larix ) in the eastern
Alps.
According to our current knowledge (IPCC 2001) the
end of the ice age was a sudden event. The temper-
ature increased rapidly within a few centuries (or faster),
and as a consequence large areas of Europe became
capable of tree growth within a rather short period of
time. Hundreds of pollen diagrams, summarized by Lang
(1994), reveal that in central Europe pine ( Pinus spp.)
and birch ( Betula spp.) occupied most of the area at
first. Later on, trees that had survived the ice age in
more southern parts of Europe invaded, and at last
beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) occurred, occupying large
areas of Europe. Fig. 10.1 presents the comparably late
but triumphal post-glacial procession of beech across
Europe. Trees other than beech as well as forest types

10.2.1 History

The European landscape and ecosystems changed
drastically during the Pleistocene era. During the
time of maximum extent of the glacial ice masses,
about 15,000 years ago, Scandinavia was completely
covered by ice, as were northern Germany and north-
ern Poland. Large areas of the North Sea belonged to
the mainland, and the Alps were covered by glaciers.
The world mean temperature was about 4 K lower than
today, in Europe about 8 K. The climate was cold and
dry (continental). Tundra and steppe were not separ-
ated by a forest belt at that time; therefore, the species
of these different vegetation types had the chance to
intermix. Parts of Europe not covered by ice were