The Alps conifer and mixed forests is a temperate coniferous forest

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

in central Europe. It extends along the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

mountains through portions of

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, and

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. The ecoregion extends from the lower slopes of the Alps to its peaks, which include

Mont Blanc Mont Blanc (, ) is a mountain in the Alps, rising above sea level, located right at the Franco-Italian border. It is the highest mountain in Europe outside the Caucasus Mountains, the second-most prominent mountain in Europe (after Mount E ...

, at the highest peak in the Alps. The Alps forests are at the transition between the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

regions of southern Europe and the more humid and temperate Euro-Siberian region of western, central, and northern Europe.

Flora

The ecoregion's elevational range, and its central location between Europe's climatic regions, support a variety of plant communities and species. The ecoregion has 4,500 native

vascular plant Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes (, ) or collectively tracheophyta (; ), are plants that have lignin, lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified Ti ...

species, including 400

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

species. The forests on the lower slopes are mostly deciduous broadleaf trees, including the oaks ''

Quercus robur ''Quercus robur'', the pedunculate oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe and western Asia, and is widely cultivated in other temperate regions. It ...

Quercus petraea ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Welsh oak, Cornish oak, Irish oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an un ...

'', ''

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'' (Synonym (taxonomy), synonyms ''virgiliana''), commonly known as the downy oak, pubescent oak or Italian oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. It ...

''. Broadleaf sclerophyllous evergreen trees are found in southern valleys adjacent to Mediterranean-climate regions. Montane forests include a mix of conifers

Norway spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very clo ...

(''Picea abies''), Silver fir (''Abies alba''), and mountain pine (''Pinus mugo''), with the broadleaf deciduous European beech (''Fagus sylvatica''),

aspen Aspen is a common name for certain tree species in the Populus sect. Populus, of the ''Populus'' (poplar) genus. Species These species are called aspens: * ''Populus adenopoda'' – Chinese aspen (China, south of ''P. tremula'') * ''Populus da ...

(''Populus tremula''), silver birch (''Betula pendula'') and downy birch (''Betula pubescens''). In more continental-climate parts of the range, European larch (''Larix decidua''), arolla pine (''Pinus cembra''), and Scots pine (''Pinus sylvestris'') replace ''Pinus mugo''. Scots pine and ''Pinus mugo'' can form a hybrid pine Pinus × rhaetica. Black pine (''Pinus nigra'') occurs on some south facing slopes in the eastern part of the range. Subalpine and alpine plant communities including heath and

alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

occur above the timberline, and include many endemic species.

Fauna

The Alps are home to 80 species of mammals. Large mammals include Eurasian brown bear (''Ursus arctos''), Alpine ibex (''Capra ibex''), Alpine chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra''),

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is one of the four wikt:extant, extant species within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. It is widely distributed from Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe to Cent ...

(''Lynx lynx''),

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a Canis, canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of Canis lupus, subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, includin ...

(''Canis lupus''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

(''Sus scrofa''),

red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...

(''Cervus elaphus elaphus''), and roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''). The Alps are home to 200 species of birds, including lammergeier (''Gypaetus barbatus''), western capercaillie (''Tetrao urogallus crassirostris'') and rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'').

Protected areas

40,470 km², or 27%, of the ecoregion is in

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...

s. One-third of the unprotected area is still forested. Protected areas include Ecrins National Park, Mercantour National Park, Vanoise National Park, and Queyras Regional Nature Park in France, Gran Paradiso National Park and Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park in Italy, Gruyère Pays-d'Enhault Regional Nature Park in Switzerland, Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany, and Kalkalpen National Park and Gesäuse National Park in Austria.

External links

References

{{reflist Ecology of the Alps Ecoregions of Austria Ecoregions of France Ecoregions of Germany Ecoregions of Italy Ecoregions of Slovenia Ecoregions of Switzerland Environment of Liechtenstein Geography of Liechtenstein Montane forests Palearctic ecoregions Temperate coniferous forests