Central European mixed forests

The ecoregion covers the formerly-glaciated central plains of Central Europe, from eastern Germany and the shores of the Baltic Sea, through large parts of the Czech Republic, Poland, Southern Lithuania, Belarus, Western and Central Ukraine, and a part of Russia (in Bryansk and Kaliningrad Oblasts). The terrain is mostly flat lowlands in the center, hilly moraine-dominated in the north, and uplands to the south along the Carpathian Mountains. To the north is the Sarmatic mixed forests ecoregion, the forests of which feature more spruce and pine. To the east is the East European forest steppe, in which the forest stands thin out into grasslands. To the south is the Carpathian montane forests ecoregion, featuring mountain pastures and forests of beech, spruce, elm, and dwarf pine. Also to the north are the Baltic mixed forests of oaks, hornbeam, and linden trees on flat, acidic soils. To the west is the Western European broadleaf forests ecoregion, which is now mostly cultivated agricultural land. == Climate ==

The portions of the ecoregion in Germany and western Poland have a climate that is classified as Marine west coast (Cfb). The eastern part has a climate of Humid continental climate, warm summer (Köppen climate classification (Dfb)). This climate is characterized by large seasonal temperature differentials and a warm summer (at least four months averaging over , but no month averaging over . The summers become hotter and the winters colder as you move east across the ecoregion, due to the movement towards the center of the continent ("continentality"). The mean January temperature is in Germany to in Belarus. Precipitation average between 500 mm and 700 mm, mostly falling during the summer growing season. == Flora and fauna ==

Oak forests are characteristic throughout the region, with some pine forests in the north. Forest cover ranges from 15% in Ukraine to 33% in the Czech Republic. Historically, the wisent's range encompassed all of the European lowlands, extending from the Massif Central to the Caucasus. Its range decreased as growing human populations cut down trees. The European bison became extinct in southern Sweden in the 11th century, and southern England in the 12th century. The species survived in the Ardennes and the Vosges until the 15th century before being hunted to extinction. In mid-16th century Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus pronounced a death penalty for poaching a European bison in Białowieża. The last wild European bison in Poland was killed in 1919. They were reintroduced from captivity. == History ==

The Central European mixed forests has been affected heavily by human activity. 19.86% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Most protected areas are small and fragmented. Some of the large, or more representative, protected areas in the ecoregion include: • Białowieża Forest (Belarus, Poland), the last large fragment of Old-growth forest that used to stretch across the European Plain. (Area: 3,086 km2) • Virtually all national parks and scientific nature reserves of Moldova are in the Central European mixed forests zone, including the Orhei National Park, the Codru Reserve and the Pădurea Domnească. == References ==