FORESTS IN NORWAY,    FORESTS IN EUROPE

It is very difficult to give SHORT characteristic of Norwegian forest. It looks like a joke, but it is because Norway is LONG country. Its length, almost meridional, exceed 2 thousands kilometres. Such shape brings effects in country natural conditions.  The timberline in vicinity of Bergen amount about 600 m above sea level, fall down nearly to sea level in the far North. The growing season vary in similar way. The number of days with temperature above 6 degrees C in Oslo region is 176 days, in Trondheim 115 days and 90 days in Kirkenes. Near Bergen, where Gulf Stream sweeps the cost, growing season is longest (194). More than 50 % of country it is high mountains not feasible for woody plants.
In spite of above the average forest cover amounts in Norway 20 % of total area (but 37 % forested and other wooded area); for the Eastern part of country 35 %, on the West 9 % and only 7 % for the North. Such diversified picture is (mainly) the result of climatic and topographic differences and the pressure of agriculture, in some part, too.
In total 7.2 mills. of hectares of productive forest, among the conifers, the Norway spruce and Scots pine are the dominants (introduced Sitka spruce is still growing in importance). Among the broadleaves the birch and aspen prevail.
Only Norway spruce and Scots pine, beside Sitka spruce on West coast, are economically important. Birch is valuable as fuelwood, and is also used in the pulp and particle-board industry (white/dawny birch – Betula odorata, lowland/silver birch – B. verrucosa and mountain birch – B. tortuosa).
The principal forest areas are found on inland South. Inland North has landscape dominated by low quality birch (B. odorata tortuosa), but in favourable sites some pine forest are found.

In general four ecoregions, by definition WWW, could be recognized in Norway:
1.  Scandinavian coastal conifer forests
2.  Scandinavian montane birch forest and grasslands
3.  Sarmatic mixed forests
4.  Scandinavian and Russian taiga

Each of them possess typical flora and fauna.