- Flora of Lithuania
The Flora of Lithuania is estimated to comprise about 10,600 species. About 1,350 of these are
vascular plant s; about 335 arebryophyte s; and about 2,000 arealgae .Lichen s are represented by about 500 species, and fungi by about 6,400 species. About 550 of these species are considered extinct or threatened. Protected areas now cover more than 12% of the territory of Lithuania.Lithuania lies in both in the boreal and the broadleaved (
angiosperm )forest belts. A variety of species are therefore found within its relatively small territory, including species characteristic of the southerntaiga . The occurrence of thehornbeam species "Carpinus betulus" marks the border between the predominantly broadleaved zone in the south and the coniferous zone in the north.Biomes
Forests
Forest cover in Lithuania has waxed and waned along with its fortunes; as a general rule, times of prosperity led to deforestation for agricultural uses. This tendency was seen during the
Soviet occupation; forest cover was about 20% in 1948, and increased to about 30% by 1990, when Lithuania regained its independence. It has since been relatively stable. The general consensus ofscientific opinion is that the optimum forest cover for Lithuania is about 33%.Conifers constitute about 60% of the total forest area. They are concentrated in the northern, western, and eastern, and far southern sections of the country. The principal conifers are
Scots Pine at about 40%, andNorway Spruce at about 20%.Broadleaf trees dominate in the central areas of the country.
Birch es constitute about 18% of the total, followed byBlack Alder (about 8%) and European Aspen (about 8%);oak , ash, andelm make up the remainder.Old growth forest s are relatively rare in Lithuania, numbering about 100. Data collected in 1998 suggested that these forests occupied about 580 km².Wetlands
About 5% of Lithuania is covered by
wetland s; a number of these are classified as peat bogs, with about 6,700 distinct areas. Characteristic species of the peat bogs include "Scheuchzeria palustris ", "Eriophorum " (cotton-grass),sundew ,cloudberry ,cranberry species, and "Andromeda polifolia " (bog-rosemary).The peat bogs are sometimes subject to forest fires in the summer; about 280 such fires were noted between 1994 and 1999.
Riparian and lacustrine
Riparian and
lacustrine (aquatic) flora present in Lithuania includeduckweed , horsetails, bullrushes, sedges, and grasses.Crops
The principal crop plants in Lithuania are
rye ,wheat ,oat s,barley ,pea s,potato es,sugar beet , andflax . About 46% of the country is covered by cropland.In addition to these major crops, various
mushroom species are harvested; several species of berries are harvested, sometimes from the wild; andCommon Hawthorn ,Thyme , and "Hypericum " are important medicinal species.Common weeds and invasive species
Crop weeds in Lithuania include "
Hordeum vulgare " (spring barley), "Capsella bursa-pastoris ,Chenopodium album ,Papaver rhoeas ,Sinapis arvensis ,Spergula arvensis ", and "Viola arvensis ". "Galinsoga parviflora " is one of the most troublinginvasive species .Botanical research institutions
* Institute of Botany [http://www.botanika.lt/depts_en.htm]
* Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture [http://www.lsdi.lt/lsdi_eng.htm]
* Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture [http://www.lzi.lt/]
* Lithuanian Forest Research Institute [http://www.mi.lt/about_institute.htm]References
* [http://www.plant-talk.org/country/lithuania.html European Plant Data Sheets]
* [http://www.botanika.lt/bi/prad1_en.htm Institute of Botany in Vilnius]
* [http://www.litlex.lt/litlex/Eng/Frames/Laws/Documents/368.HTM Lithuanian law concerning plant protection - 1995]
* [http://enrin.grida.no/biodiv/biodiv/national/lithau/bs2.htm Biodiversity of Lithuania]
* [http://www.actahort.org/members/showpdf?booknrarnr=629_3 Trade in medicinal and aromatic plants in Lithuania]
* [http://earthtrends.wri.org/text/agriculture-food/country-profile-108.html Lithuanian agriculture]
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