List of old-growth forests
Eurasia
Table:
Country

Area

Old-growth extent

WWF ecoregion

Old-growth forest type

Azerbaijan

Lankaran lowland and Talysh mountains

Caspian Hyrcanian mixed forest

temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome

Belarus, Poland

Białowieża Forest

308,580 hectares (762,500 acres)

Central European mixed forests[citation needed]

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Perućica

1,434 hectares (3,540 acres)

Dinaric Mountains mixed forests

Bulgaria[8]

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of Europe in the Central Balkan National Park

1,098,891 hectares (2,715,420 acres)

Rodope montane mixed forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome

Bulgaria[8]

Bayuvi Dupki–Dzhindzhiritsa (temperate coniferous forest), Pirin National Park

2,873 hectares (7,100 acres)

Rodope montane mixed forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome

Bulgaria[8]

Mantaritza Biosphere Reserve forests

1,320 hectares (3,300 acres)

Rodope montane mixed forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome

Bulgaria[8]

Parangalitsa Reserve forests, Rila National Park

1,509 hectares (3,730 acres)

Rodope montane mixed forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome

Bulgaria[8]

Uzunbodzhak Reserve temperate rainforest, Strandzha Nature Park, Strandzha Mountain

2,529.6 hectares (6,251 acres)

Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome (Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests)

Czech Republic

Boubin Primeval Forest

685.9 hectares (1,695 acres)

Finland

Pyhä-Häkki National Park

Scandinavian and Russian taiga

Scots pine and Norway spruce

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale d'Assan

1,032 hectares (2,550 acres)

Temperate coniferous forest

Pinus sylvestris, Abies alba, Larix decidua, Juniperus thurifera and Pinus uncinata

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale de Chaux

148 hectares (370 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Abies alba, Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale de la Glacière

28 hectares (69 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Abies alba, Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale de la Sainte-Baume

138 hectares (340 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Fagus sylvatica, Quercus pubescens, Taxus baccata, Ilex aquifolium, Tilia cordata, maple and Quercus ilex

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale de la Sylve d’Argenson

2,579 hectares (6,370 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Fagus sylvatica, Quercus petraea and Quercus robur

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale de Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre

1,010 hectares (2,500 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Fagus sylvatica, Tilia cordata and Maple

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale des Maures

2,531 hectares (6,250 acres)

Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub

Quercus ilex, Quercus suber, Castanea sativa and Pinus pinaster

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale du Mont Ventoux

906 hectares (2,240 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Pinus uncinata, Pinus nigra, Pinus sylvestris, Fagus sylvatica and Abies alba

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale du Défilé de Straiture

124 hectares (310 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Abies alba, Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica

France

Réserve Biologique Intégrale d'Oléron - Saint-Trojan

158 hectares (390 acres)

Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest

Quercus ilex, Quercus petraea and Pinus pinaster

Consulting the accompanying table together with the context snippets below.

State the answer to the question: What WWF ecoregion type is the forest in the reserve that was established on 24 February 1992 to protect several ecosystems of national importance ? Provide just your answer in a JSON object {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

This is a list of terrestrial ecoregions as compiled by the World Wildlife Fund ( WWF ) . The WWF identifies terrestrial , freshwater , and marine ecoregions . The terrestrial scheme divides the Earth 's land surface into 8 terrestrial ecozones , containing 867 smaller ecoregions . Each ecoregion is classified into one of 14 major habitat types , or biomes .
Belarus ( /bɛləˈruːs/ ; Belarusian : Беларусь , IPA : [ bʲɛlaˈrusʲ ] ) , officially the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Рэспубліка Беларусь , Russian : Республика Беларусь ) , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia ( Russian : Белоруссия ) , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres ( 80,200 sq mi ) is forested . Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire . In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .
Poland ( Polish : Polska [ ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Poland ( Polish : Rzeczpospolita Polska [ c ] [ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔˈspɔlita ˈpɔlska ] ( listen ) ) , is a country located in Central Europe . It is divided into 16 administrative subdivisions , covering an area of 312,696 square kilometres ( 120,733 sq mi ) , and has a largely temperate seasonal climate . With a population of nearly 38.5 million people , Poland is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union . Poland 's capital and largest metropolis is Warsaw . Other major cities include Kraków , Łódź , Wrocław , Poznań , Gdańsk , and Szczecin . Poland is bordered by the Baltic Sea , Lithuania , and Russia 's Kaliningrad Oblast to the north , Belarus and Ukraine to the east , Slovakia and the Czech Republic to the south , and Germany to the west . The history of human activity on Polish soil spans almost 500,000 years . Throughout the Iron Age the area became extensively diverse , with various cultures and tribes settling on the vast Central European Plain . However , it was the Western Polans who dominated the region and gave Poland its name . The establishment of Polish statehood can be traced to AD 966 , when Mieszko I , ruler of the realm coextensive with the territory of present-day Poland , converted to Christianity . The Kingdom of Poland was founded in 1025 , and in 1569 it cemented its longstanding political association with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania by signing the Union of Lublin . This union formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , one of the largest ( over 1,000,000 square kilometres - 400,000 square miles ) and most populous countries of 16th and 17th century Europe , with a uniquely liberal political system which adopted Europe 's first written national constitution , the Constitution of 3 May 1791 .
Białowieża Forest ( Belarusian : Белавежская пушча , Biełaviežskaja Pušča ; Polish : Puszcza Białowieska Polish pronunciation : [ ˈpuʂt͡ʂa ˌbʲawɔˈvʲɛska ] ( listen ) ; Russian : Беловежская пуща , Belovezhskaya Pushcha ) is one of the last and largest remaining parts of the immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain . The forest is home to 800 European bison , Europe 's heaviest land animal . UNESCO 's Man and the Biosphere Programme designated the Polish Biosphere Reserve Białowieża in 1976 and the Belarusian Biosphere Reserve Belovezhskaya Puschcha in 1993 . In 2015 , the Belarusian Biosphere Reserve occupied the area of 216,200 ha ( 2,162 km2 ; 835 sq mi ) , subdivided into transition , buffer and core zones . The forest has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an EU Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation . The World Heritage Committee by its decision of June 2014 approved the extension of the UNESCO World Heritage site Belovezhskaya Pushcha/Białowieża Forest , Belarus , Poland , which became Białowieża Forest , Belarus , Poland . It straddles the border between Poland ( Podlaskie Voivodeship ) and Belarus ( Brest and Grodno voblasts ) , and is 70 kilometres ( 43 miles ) north of Brest , Belarus and 62 kilometres ( 39 miles ) southeast of Białystok , Poland . The Białowieża Forest World Heritage site covers a total area of 141,885 ha ( 1,418.85 km2 ; 547.82 sq mi ) . Since the border between the two countries runs through the forest , there is a border crossing available for hikers and cyclists .
The Central European mixed forest ecoregion ( WWF ID : PA0412 ) is a temperate hardwood forest covering much of northeastern Europe , from Germany to Russia . The area is only about one-third forested , with pressure from human agriculture leaving the rest in a patchwork of traditional pasture , meadows , wetlands . The ecoregion is in the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome , and the Palearctic ecozone , with a Humid Continental climate . It covers 731,154 km2 ( 282,300 sq mi ) .
Bosnia and Herzegovina , [ a ] abbreviated BiH or B & H , [ b ] sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia , is a country of South and Southeast Europe , located within the Balkans . Sarajevo is the capital and largest city . Bosnia and Herzegovina is an almost landlocked country - to the south it has a narrow coast on the Adriatic Sea , about 20 kilometres ( 12 miles ) long and surrounding the town of Neum . It is bordered by Serbia to the east , Montenegro to the southeast , and Croatia surrounding north and southwest . In the central and eastern interior of the country the geography is mountainous , in the northwest moderately hilly , and the northeast predominantly flatland . The inland , Bosnia , is a geographically larger region and has a moderate continental climate , with hot summers and cold and snowy winters . The southern tip , Herzegovina , has a Mediterranean climate and mostly mountainous topography . Bosnia and Herzegovina traces permanent human settlement back to the Neolithic age , during and after which it was populated by several Illyrian and Celtic civilizations . Culturally , politically , and socially , the country has a rich history , having been first settled by the Slavic peoples that populate the area today from the 6th through to the 9th centuries . In the 12th century the Banate of Bosnia was established , which evolved into the Kingdom of Bosnia in the 14th century , after which it was annexed into the Ottoman Empire , under whose rule it remained from the mid-15th to the late 19th centuries . The Ottomans brought Islam to the region , and altered much of the cultural and social outlook of the country . This was followed by annexation into the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy , which lasted up until World War I .
Perućica is one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe . It is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina , near the border with Montenegro , and is part of the Sutjeska National Park . The forest can only be explored in the company of rangers . The tallest measured Norway Spruce ( 63 m ) is located in this forest .
The Dinaric Mountains mixed forests form a terrestrial ecoregion of the Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests Biome in Southeastern Europe , according to both the WWF and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the European Environment Agency . It also is in the Palearctic ecozone .
Bulgaria ( /bʌlˈɡɛəriə , bʊl-/ ( listen ) ; Bulgarian : България , romanized : Balgariya ) , officially the Republic of Bulgaria ( Bulgarian : Република България , romanized : Republika Balgariya , IPA : [ rɛˈpublikɐ bɐɫˈɡarijɐ ] ) , is a country in Southeast Europe . It is bordered by Romania to the north , Serbia and North Macedonia to the west , Greece and Turkey to the south , and the Black Sea to the east . The capital and largest city is Sofia ; other major cities are Plovdiv , Varna and Burgas . With a territory of 110,994 square kilometres ( 42,855 sq mi ) , Bulgaria is Europe 's 16th-largest country . One of the earliest societies in the lands of modern-day Bulgaria was the Neolithic Karanovo culture , which dates back to 6,500 BC . In the 6th to 3rd century BC the region was a battleground for Thracians , Persians , Celts and ancient Macedonians ; stability came when the Roman Empire conquered the region in AD 45 . The Eastern Roman , or Byzantine , Empire lost some of these territories to an invading Bulgar horde in the late 7th century . The Bulgars founded the First Bulgarian Empire in AD 681 , which dominated most of the Balkans and significantly influenced Slavic cultures by developing the Cyrillic script . This state lasted until the early 11th century , when Byzantine emperor Basil II conquered and dismantled it . A successful Bulgarian revolt in 1185 established a Second Bulgarian Empire , which reached its apex under Ivan Asen II ( 1218-1241 ) . After numerous exhausting wars and feudal strife , the Second Bulgarian Empire disintegrated in 1396 and its territories fell under Ottoman rule for nearly five centuries . The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 resulted in the formation of the current Third Bulgarian State .
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a transnational composite nature UNESCO World Heritage site , encompassing forests in 12 European countries . The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians include ten separate massifs located along the 185 km ( 115 mi ) long axis from the Rakhiv mountains and Chornohora ridge in Ukraine over the Poloniny Ridge ( Slovakia ) to the Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia . The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany include five locations , cover 4,391 hectares and were added in 2011 . The Carpathian site covers a total area of 77,971.6 ha ( 192,672 acres ) , out of which only 29,278.9 ha ( 72,350 acres ) are part of the actual preserved area , while the rest is considered a buffer zone . Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians cover areas of Zakarpattia and Prešov Regions . Over 70% of the site is located in Ukraine . The area includes two national parks , and some habitat controlled areas , mostly in Slovakia . Both national parks , along with a neighboring area in Poland , compose a separate biosphere reserve , the East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve . Besides Havešová , Rožok , and Stužica ( all of them located in Bukovské vrchy ) , there is a fourth component situated in Slovakia , named Kyjovský prales of Vihorlat . Ukrainian locations include Chornohora , Kuziy-Trybushany , Maramarosh , Stuzhytsia-Uzhok , Svydovets , and Uholka-Shyrikyi Luh . Only a few of the ten components are accessible to visitors . Stužica is the only one of three locations in Bukovské vrchy ( Slovakia ) with available hiking trails .
The Central Balkan National Park ( Bulgarian : Национален парк Централен Балкан ) lies in the heart of Bulgaria , nestled in the central and higher portions of the Balkan Mountains . Its altitude varies from 550 m. near the town of Karlovo to 2376 m. at Botev Peak , the highest summit in the mountain range . It was established on 31 October 1991 . The Central Balkan National Park is the third largest protected territory in Bulgaria , spanning an area of 716.69 km² with total length of 85 km from the west to the east and an average width of 10 km . It occupies territory from 5 of the 28 provinces of the country : Lovech , Gabrovo , Sofia , Plovdiv and Stara Zagora . The national park includes nine nature reserves covering 28% of its territory : Boatin , Tsarichina , Kozya Stena , Steneto , Severen Dzhendem , Peeshti Skali , Sokolna , Dzhendema and Stara Reka . The Central Balkan National Park is one of the largest and most valuable of the protected areas in Europe . The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) has listed the Park as Category 2 . The national park and eight of the nine nature reserves are on the UN list of Representative Protected Areas , and four of the nature reserves are included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme . It is a full member of the WWF-led PAN Parks . Since 2017 , the ancient beech forests within all nine park reserves have been included in the Primeval Beech Forests World Heritage Site . The park falls within the Rodope montane mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest .
The Rodope montane mixed forests constitute a terrestrial ecoregion of Europe defined by the WWF . It belongs in the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Biome and the Palearctic ecozone . The ecoregion is also known as Southern Europe : Bulgaria with small extensions into Greece , Macedonia , and Yugoslavia in the WWF system . The Rodope montane mixed forests ecoregion holds a total of three national parks , all of them situated in Bulgaria , and they comprise the Central Balkan National Park , Pirin National Park , a UNESCO world heritage site , and Rila National Park .
Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa ( Bulgarian : Баюви дупки-Джинджирица ) , also spelled Doupki-Djindjiritza , is a nature reserve in Pirin National Park , located in the homonymous mountain range in south-western Bulgaria . It is situated in Razlog Municipality , Blagoevgrad Province . Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa is among the nation 's oldest reserves , declared in 1934 to protect the forests of Macedonian pine ( Pinus peuce ) and Bosnian pine ( Pinus heldreichii ) , both Balkan endemic species . Its territory was further expanded in 1976 and 1980 and spans an area of 2873 ha or 28,73 km2 . It was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1977 . The reserve encompasses territory between 1200 and 2907 m altitude . Geologically it is dominated by Proterozoic marbles and has extensive karst terrain with numerous caves and karst formations .
Temperate coniferous forest is a terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature . Temperate coniferous forests are found predominantly in areas with warm summers and cool winters , and vary in their kinds of plant life . In some , needleleaf trees dominate , while others are home primarily to broadleaf evergreen trees or a mix of both tree types . A separate habitat type , the tropical coniferous forests , occurs in more tropical climates . Temperate coniferous forests are common in the coastal areas of regions that have mild winters and heavy rainfall , or inland in drier climates or montane areas . Many species of trees inhabit these forests including pine , cedar , fir , and redwood . The understory also contains a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species . Temperate coniferous forests sustain the highest levels of biomass in any terrestrial ecosystem and are notable for trees of massive proportions in temperate rainforest regions . Structurally , these forests are rather simple , consisting of 2 layers generally : an overstory and understory . However , some forests may support a layer of shrubs . Pine forests support an herbaceous groundlayer that may be dominated by grasses and forbs that lend themselves to ecologically important wildfires . In contrast , the moist conditions found in temperate rain forests favor the dominance by ferns and some forbs .
Pirin National Park ( Bulgarian : Национален парк Пирин ) , originally named Vihren National Park , encompasses the larger part of the Pirin Mountains in southwestern Bulgaria , spanning an area of 403.56 km2 ( 155.82 sq mi ) . It is one of the three national parks in the country , the others being Rila National Park and Central Balkan National Park . The park was established in 1962 and its territory was expanded several times since then . Pirin National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 . The altitude varies from 950 m to 2,914 m at Vihren , Bulgaria 's second highest summit and the Balkans ' third . The park is situated in Blagoevgrad Province , the nation 's south-westernmost region , on the territory of seven municipalities : Bansko , Gotse Delchev , Kresna , Razlog , Sandanski , Simitli and Strumyani . There are no populated places within its territory . Two nature reserves are located within the boundaries of Pirin National Park , Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa and Yulen . Bayuvi Dupki-Dzhindzhiritsa is among the oldest in Bulgaria , established in 1934 and is included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme . The whole territory is part of the network of nature protection areas of the European Union , Natura 2000 . Pirin is renowned for its 118 glacial lakes , the largest and the deepest of them being Popovo Lake . Many of them are situated in cirques .
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature , with broadleaf tree ecoregions , and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions . These forests are richest and most distinctive in central China and eastern North America , with some other globally distinctive ecoregions in the Caucasus , the Himalayas , Southern Europe , and the Russian Far East .
Mantaritza Biosphere Reserve ( Bulgarian : Биосферен резерват Мантарица ) is situated to the north of Golyama Syutka Peak in the Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria , and covers an area of 1319,9 hectares . The reserve was established in 1968 to protect the old coniferous forests and the biotopes of the Western capercaillie ( Tetrao urogalus ) . The area was declared as biosphere reserve in 1977 . It represents century-old forests of pure and mixed stands of Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) , European birch ( Fagus sylvatica ) and European silver fir ( Abies alba ) . The reserve is situated in the Bulgarian Floristic sub-region of West Rhodope within the Central European mountain biotic province . The varied fauna includes brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) , red deer ( Cervus elaphus ) , roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) , wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) , pine marten ( Martes martes ) , European badger ( Meles meles ) , hazel grouse ( Bonasa bonasia ) , black woodpecker ( Dryocopus martius ) and European crested tit ( Parus cristatus ) . This area has been little affected by man . Before the biosphere reserve was designated in 1977 , small-scale selective cutting took place and water reservoirs were constructed . This biosphere reserve is currently under revision .
Rila National Park ( Bulgarian : Национален парк „ Рила ) is the largest national park in Bulgaria spanning an area of 810.46 km2 ( 312.92 sq mi ; 200,270 acres ) in the Rila mountain range in the south-west of the country . It was established on 24 February 1992 to protect several ecosystems of national importance . Its altitude varies from 800 m ( 2,600 ft ) near Blagoevgrad to 2,925 m ( 9,596 ft ) at Musala Peak , the highest summit in the Balkan Peninsula . There are 120 glacial lakes , including the prominent Seven Rila Lakes . Many rivers have their source in the national park , including the longest river entirely in the Balkans , the Maritsa , and the longest river entirely in Bulgaria , the Iskar . The national park occupies territory from 4 of the 28 provinces of the country : Sofia , Kyustendil , Blagoevgrad and Pazardzhik . It includes four nature reserves : Parangalitsa , Central Rila Reserve , Ibar and Skakavitsa . Rila National Park is among the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe . The International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ) has listed the park as Category II . Two of the four nature reserves are included in the UN list of Representative Protected Areas , and four of the nature reserves are included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme . The park falls within the Rodope montane mixed forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest . Forests occupy 534.81 km2 ( 206.49 sq mi ; 132,150 acres ) or 66% of the total area .
Uzunbodzhak ( Bulgarian : Узунбоджак ) , also transliterated as Ouzounboudjak is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve , one of the five nature reserves in Strandzha Nature Park in south-eastern Bulgaria . The reserve is sometimes called Lopushna ( Bulgarian : Лопушна ) . Uzunbodzhak was established on 13 December 1956 and was included in the UNESCO network of biosphere reserves in March 1977 . It covers an area of 2529.6 hectares , or 25.296 km2 . All economic activities are prohibited on the territory of the reserve .
Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rainfall . Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world : the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American Pacific Northwest as well as the Appalachian temperate rainforest of the Eastern U.S. Sun Belt ; the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern South America ; the rain forests of New Zealand , Tasmania and southeastern Australia ; northwest Europe ( small pockets in the British Isles , Iceland , and larger areas in southern Norway and northern Iberia ) ; southern Japan ; the Black Sea-Caspian Sea region from the southeasternmost coastal zone of the Bulgarian coast , through Turkey , to Georgia , and northern Iran . The moist conditions of temperate rain forests generally support an understory of mosses , ferns and some shrubs . Temperate rain forests can be temperate coniferous forests or temperate broadleaf and mixed forests .
Strandzha Nature Park ( Bulgarian : Природен парк Странджа Priroden park Strandzha , also transliterated as Stranja Nature Park ) is the largest protected area in Bulgaria spanning a territory of 1,161 square kilometres ( 448 sq mi ) in the Strandzha Mountain in the extreme south-eastern corner of the country on the border with Turkey . It was established on 25 January 1995 to protect ecosystems and biodiversity of European importance , as well as the traditional cultural , historical and folklore heritage of the region . The altitude varies from 710 metres ( 780 yd ) on Gradishte Peak to 0 metres ( 0 yd ) at the Black Sea coast with average length of 50 kilometres ( 31 mi ) from west to east and 20 kilometres ( 12 mi ) from north to south . The nature park is situated in Burgas Province with two towns , Malko Tarnovo and Ahtopol , and several villages within its territory . It includes five nature reserves : Silkosiya , Sredoka , Tisovitsa , Uzunbodzhak and Vitanovo . Silkosiya is the oldest one in Bulgaria , established in 1933 , and Uzunbodzhak is included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme . The whole territory is part of the network of nature protection areas of the European Union , Natura 2000 . Strandzha Nature Park falls within two terrestrial ecoregions of the Palearctic temperate broadleaf and mixed forest - the Balkan mixed forests and the Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests . Forests cover 80% of the park 's area , with old-growth forest forming 30% of them . These woods are the last remaining temperate forests with evergreen laurel undergrowth in Europe . The park has the highest number of vertebrate species of all protected areas in Bulgaria , including 66 species of mammals , 269 species of birds , 24 species of reptiles , 10 species of amphibia and 41 species of freshwater fish , as well as 70 species of marine fish in the waters of the Black Sea . The invertebrate fauna is poorly researched and includes 84 Bulgarian endemic species , of which 4 are local , and 34 relict species .
Strandzha ( Bulgarian : Странджа , also transliterated as Strandja ; Turkish : Istranca or Yıldız ) is a mountain massif in southeastern Bulgaria and the European part of Turkey . It is in the southeastern part of the Balkans between the plains of Thrace to the west , the lowlands near Burgas to the north , and the Black Sea to the east . Its highest peak is Mahya Dağı ( Bulgarian : Махиада , Mahiada ) ( 1,031 m or 3,383 ft ) in Turkey , while the highest point on Bulgarian territory is Golyamo Gradishte ( Bulgarian : Голямо Градище ) ( 710 m or 2,329 ft ) . The total area is approximately 10,000 km2 ( 3,861 sq mi ) . The name of the massif allegedly derives from Istranca , the former name of the municipality of Binkılıç in Çatalca district , Istanbul province .
The Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests ecoregion , in the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Biome , is located along the southern shore of the Black Sea . The ecoregion extends along the thin coastal strip from the southeastern corner of Bulgaria in the west , to Georgia in the east , across the northern coast of Turkey , where it wraps around the eastern end of the Black Sea .
The Czech Republic ( /ˈtʃɛk -/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česká republika [ ˈtʃɛskaː ˈrɛpublɪka ] ( listen ) ) , also known by its short-form name , Czechia ( /ˈtʃɛkiə/ ( listen ) ; Czech : Česko [ ˈtʃɛsko ] ( listen ) ) , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Poland to the northeast , Slovakia to the southeast , Austria to the south , and Germany to the west . The Czech Republic is a landlocked country with a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,866 square kilometers ( 30,450 sq mi ) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate . It is a unitary parliamentary republic , with 10.7 million inhabitants . Its capital and largest city is Prague , with 1.3 million residents ; other major cities are Brno , Ostrava , Olomouc and Pilsen . The Czech Republic includes the historical territories of Bohemia , Moravia , and Czech Silesia . The Czech state was formed in the late ninth century as the Duchy of Bohemia under the Great Moravian Empire . In 1002 , the duchy was formally recognized as an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire along with the Kingdom of Germany , the Kingdom of Burgundy , the Kingdom of Italy ; and became the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1198 , reaching its greatest territorial extent in the 14th century . Prague was the imperial seat in periods between the 14th and 17th century . The Protestant Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century led to the Hussite Wars , the first of many conflicts with the Catholic Church . Following the Battle of Mohács in 1526 , the whole Crown of Bohemia was gradually integrated into the Habsburg Monarchy . The Protestant Bohemian Revolt ( 1618-20 ) against the Catholic Habsburgs led to the Thirty Years ' War . After the Battle of the White Mountain , the Habsburgs consolidated their rule , eradicated Protestantism , reimposed Catholicism , and adopted a policy of gradual Germanization .
Finland ( Finnish : Suomi [ ˈsuo̯mi ] ( listen ) ; Swedish : Finland [ ˈfɪ̌nland ] ( listen ) , Finland Swedish : [ ˈfinlɑnd ] ) , officially the Republic of Finland ( Finnish : Suomen tasavalta , Swedish : Republiken Finland ( listen to all ) ) , [ note 1 ] is a Nordic country in Northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea , Gulf of Bothnia , and Gulf of Finland , between Sweden to the west , Russia to the east , Estonia to the south , and north-eastern Norway to the north . The capital and largest city is Helsinki . Other major cities are Espoo , Tampere , Vantaa , Oulu , Turku , Jyväskylä , Lahti and Kuopio . Finland 's population is 5.52 million as of July 2019 , the majority of whom live in the central and south of the country and speak Finnish , a Finnic language from the Uralic language family , unrelated to the Scandinavian languages . Finland is the eighth-largest country in Europe and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union . It is a parliamentary republic of 310 municipalities , and includes an autonomous region , the Åland Islands . Over 1.4 million people live in the Greater Helsinki metropolitan area , which produces one third of the country 's GDP . Swedish is the second official language of Finland , which is mainly spoken in certain coastal areas and on Åland . A large majority of Finns are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church . Finland was inhabited when the last ice age ended , approximately 9000 BC . Comb Ceramic culture introduced pottery 5200 BC and Corded Ware culture coincided with the start of agriculture between 3000 and 2500 BC . The Bronze Age and Iron Age were characterised by extensive contacts with other cultures in the Fennoscandian and Baltic regions .
Pyhä-Häkki National Park ( Pyhä-Häkin kansallispuisto ) is a national park in Central Finland . It was established in 1956 ( extended in 1982 when Kotaneva was joined to it ) and covers 13 square kilometres ( 5 sq mi ) . Its foundation was planned already in the late 1930s , but the Second World War interrupted these plans . The national park protects old Scots pine and Norway spruce copses , which started growing when Finland was still under Swedish rule , and bogs , which comprise half of the national park . The national park is the largest remaining area of virgin forest in the southern half of Finland . In addition to the pine and the spruce , Betula pendula , Betula pubescens , Populus tremula , and Alnus glutinosa ( the latter along some creeks ) are the taller tree species encountered in the national park .
The Scandinavian taiga is an ecoregion within the Taiga and Boreal forests Biome as defined by the WWF classification ( ecoregion PA0608 ) . It is situated in Northern Europe between tundra in the north and temperate mixed forests in the south and occupies about 2,156,900 km² ( 832,800 mi² ) in Norway , Sweden , Finland and the northern part of European Russia , being the largest ecoregion in Europe . In Sweden the taiga is primarily associated with the Norrland terrain .
Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) is a species of pine that is native to Eurasia , ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia , south to the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia , and north to well inside the Arctic Circle in Fennoscandia . In the north of its range , it occurs from sea level to 1,000 m ( 3,300 ft ) , while in the south of its range it is a mountain tree , growing at 1,200-2,600 m ( 3,900-8,500 ft ) altitude . It is readily identified by its combination of fairly short , blue-green leaves and orange-red bark . The species is mainly found on poorer , sandy soils , rocky outcrops , peat bogs or close to the forest limit . On fertile sites , Scots pine is out-competed by other , usually spruce or broad-leaved tree species . It is the national tree of Scotland .
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 ( 3 1⁄2-6 3⁄4 in ) long . It is very closely related to the Siberian spruce ( Picea obovata ) , which replaces it east of the Ural Mountains , and with which it hybridises freely . The Norway spruce is widely planted for its wood , and is the species used as the main Christmas tree in several cities around the world . It was the first gymnosperm to have its genome sequenced , and one clone has been measured as 9,560 years old . The Latin specific epithet abies means fir-like .
France ( French : [ fʁɑ̃s ] ( listen ) ) , officially the French Republic ( French : République française , pronounced [ ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛːz ] ( listen ) ) , is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories . [ XIII ] The metropolitan area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea , and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean . It is bordered by Belgium , Luxembourg and Germany to the northeast , Switzerland and Italy to the east , and Andorra and Spain to the south . The overseas territories include French Guiana in South America and several islands in the Atlantic , Pacific and Indian oceans . The country 's 18 integral regions ( five of which are situated overseas ) span a combined area of 643,801 square kilometres ( 248,573 sq mi ) and a total population of 67.02 million ( as of July 2019 [ update ] ) . France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris , the country 's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre . Other major urban areas include Lyon , Marseille , Toulouse , Bordeaux , Lille and Nice . France , including its overseas territories , has the most number of time zones of any country , with a total of 12 . During the Iron Age , what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls , a Celtic people . Rome annexed the area in 51 BC , holding it until the arrival of Germanic Franks in 476 , who formed the Kingdom of Francia . The Treaty of Verdun of 843 partitioned Francia into East Francia , Middle Francia and West Francia . West Francia , which became the Kingdom of France in 987 , emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages , following its victory in the Hundred Years ' War ( 1337-1453 ) .
Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) is a species of pine that is native to Eurasia , ranging from Western Europe to Eastern Siberia , south to the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia , and north to well inside the Arctic Circle in Fennoscandia . In the north of its range , it occurs from sea level to 1,000 m ( 3,300 ft ) , while in the south of its range it is a mountain tree , growing at 1,200-2,600 m ( 3,900-8,500 ft ) altitude . It is readily identified by its combination of fairly short , blue-green leaves and orange-red bark . The species is mainly found on poorer , sandy soils , rocky outcrops , peat bogs or close to the forest limit . On fertile sites , Scots pine is out-competed by other , usually spruce or broad-leaved tree species . It is the national tree of Scotland .
Abies alba , the European silver fir or silver fir , is a fir native to the mountains of Europe , from the Pyrenees north to Normandy , east to the Alps and the Carpathians , Slovenia , Croatia , Bosnia and Herzegovina , Montenegro , Serbia , and south to Italy , Bulgaria , Albania and northern Greece ; it is also commonly grown on Christmas tree plantations in the North East region of North America spanning New England in the US to the Maritime provinces of Canada .
Larix decidua , the European larch , is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe , in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains as well as the Pyrenees , with disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland and southern Lithuania . Its life span has been confirmed to be close to 1000 years ( with claims of up to 2000 years ) but is more often around 200 years . It is claimed that one of the larches planted by the second Duke of Atholl at Dunkeld in 1738 is still standing .
Juniperus thurifera ( Spanish juniper ) is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region , from southern France ( including Corsica ) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Algeria . It large shrub or tree reaching 6-20 m tall , with a trunk up to 2 m diameter and a broadly conical to rounded or irregular crown . The foliage is strongly aromatic , with a spicy-resinous scent . The leaves are of two forms , juvenile needle-like leaves 8-10 mm long on seedlings and irregularly on adult plants , and adult scale-leaves 0.6-3 mm long on older plants ; they are arranged in decussate opposite pairs . It is dioecious with separate male and female plants . The cones are berry-like , 7-12 mm in diameter , blue-black with a whitish waxy bloom , and contain 1-4 seeds ; they are mature in about 18 months . The male cones are 3-4 mm long , and shed their pollen in early spring . There are two varieties , regarded as distinct by some authors , but not by others :
Pinus mugo , known as bog pine , creeping pine , dwarf mountain pine , mugo pine , mountain pine , scrub mountain pine or Swiss mountain pine , is a species of conifer , native to high elevation habitats from southwestern to Central Europe and Southeast Europe .
The Forest of Chaux is the second largest forest in France . Its 20,493 hectares are located in the region of Franche-Comté on the plains west of the Jura mountains . Exploitation of the forest dates back to the thirteenth century , and there is an ancient tradition of raftsmen floating timber down the Loue to the Saône and the Rhone , and thence to the Mediterranean . Today , the Confrérie Saint Nicolas maintains the raftsman tradition on the Loue . [ clarification needed ] When Franche-Comté became part of France in 1678 , the Crown took possession of the Forest because of its potential for supplying timber for the Royal navy . In 1779 , Louis XIV ordered the construction of the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans near the forest so that the works could use its wood to produce salt by boiling brine .
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature , with broadleaf tree ecoregions , and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions . These forests are richest and most distinctive in central China and eastern North America , with some other globally distinctive ecoregions in the Caucasus , the Himalayas , Southern Europe , and the Russian Far East .
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 ( 3 1⁄2-6 3⁄4 in ) long . It is very closely related to the Siberian spruce ( Picea obovata ) , which replaces it east of the Ural Mountains , and with which it hybridises freely . The Norway spruce is widely planted for its wood , and is the species used as the main Christmas tree in several cities around the world . It was the first gymnosperm to have its genome sequenced , and one clone has been measured as 9,560 years old . The Latin specific epithet abies means fir-like .
Fagus sylvatica , the European beech or common beech , is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae .
Quercus pubescens , the downy oak or pubescent oak , is a species of white oak ( genus Quercus sect . Quercus ) native to southern Europe and southwest Asia , from northern Spain ( Pyrenees ) east to the Crimea and the Caucasus . It is also found in France and parts of central Europe .
Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western , central and southern Europe , northwest Africa , northern Iran and southwest Asia . It is the tree originally known as yew , though with other related trees becoming known , it may now be known as common yew , English yew , or European yew . Primarily grown as an ornamental , most parts of the plant are poisonous , and consumption of the foliage can result in death .
Ilex aquifolium ( holly , common holly , English holly , European holly , or occasionally Christmas holly ) , is a species of holly native to western and southern Europe , northwest Africa , and southwest Asia . It is regarded as the type species of the genus Ilex , which by association is also called holly . It is an evergreen tree or shrub found , for example , in shady areas of forests of oak and in beech hedges . In the British Isles it is one of very few native evergreen trees . It has a great capacity to adapt to different conditions and is a pioneer species that repopulates the margins of forests or clearcuts . I. aquifolium can exceed 10 m in height , but is often found at much smaller heights , typically 2-3 m ( 6.6-9.8 ft ) tall and broad , with a straight trunk and pyramidal crown , branching from the base . It grows slowly and does not usually fully mature due to cutting or fire . It can live 500 years , but usually does not reach 100 . Ilex aquifolium is the species of holly long associated with Christmas , and previously the Roman festival of Saturnalia . Its glossy green prickly leaves and bright red berries ( produced only by the female plant ) are represented in wreaths , garlands and cards wherever Christmas is celebrated . It is a subject of music and folklore , especially in the British tradition . It is also a popular ornamental shrub or hedge , with numerous cultivars in a range of colours .
Tilia cordata ( small-leaved lime , occasionally littleleaf linden or small-leaved linden ) is a species of Tilia native to much of Europe . It is found from Britain through mainland Europe to the Caucasus and western Asia . In the south of its range it is restricted to high elevations .
Acer /ˈeɪsər/ is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maple . The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae . There are approximately 128 species , most of which are native to Asia , with a number also appearing in Europe , northern Africa , and North America . Only one species , Acer laurinum , extends to the Southern Hemisphere . The type species of the genus is the sycamore maple , Acer pseudoplatanus , the most common maple species in Europe . The maples have easily recognizable palmate leaves and distinctive winged fruits . The closest relatives of the maples are the horse chestnuts .
Quercus ilex , the evergreen oak , holly oak or holm oak , is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region . It takes its name from holm , an ancient name for holly . It is a member of the Cerris section of the genus , with acorns that mature in a single summer . The first trees to be grown from acorns in England are still to be found within the stately grounds of Mamhead Park , Devon . From Britton & Brayley The Beauties of England and Wales ( 1803 ) :
Quercus petraea , commonly known as the sessile oak , Cornish 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 the Republic of Ireland , and an unofficial emblem in Wales and Cornwall .
Quercus robur , commonly known as common oak , pedunculate oak , European oak or English oak , is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family , Fagaceae . It is native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus . The tree is widely cultivated in temperate regions and has escaped into the wild in scattered parts of China and North America .
Mediterranean forests , woodlands , and scrub is a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature . The biome is generally characterized by dry summers and rainy winters , although in some areas rainfall may be uniform . Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near colder seas . Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations . All these ecoregions are highly distinctive , collectively harboring 10% of the Earth 's plant species .
Quercus suber , commonly called the cork oak , is a medium-sized , evergreen oak tree in the section Quercus sect . Cerris . It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses , such as cork flooring and as the cores of cricket balls . It is native to southwest Europe and northwest Africa . In the Mediterranean basin the tree is an ancient species with fossil remnants dating back to the Tertiary period . It grows to up to 20 m ( 66 ft ) , although it is typically more stunted in its native environment . The leaves are 4 to 7 cm ( 1.6 to 2.8 in ) long , weakly lobed or coarsely toothed , dark green above , paler beneath , with the leaf margins often downcurved . The acorns are 2 to 3 cm ( 0.79 to 1.18 in ) long , in a deep cup fringed with elongated scales .
Castanea sativa , or sweet chestnut , is a species of flowering plant in the family Fagaceae , native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor , and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world . A substantial , long-lived deciduous tree , it produces an edible seed , the chestnut , which has been used in cooking since ancient times .
Pinus pinaster , the maritime pine or cluster pine , is a pine native to the Mediterranean region . It is a hard , fast growing pine containing small seeds with large wings .
Pinus nigra , the Austrian pine or black pine , is a moderately variable species of pine , occurring across southern Mediterranean Europe from Spain to the eastern Mediterranean , on the Anatolian peninsula of Turkey on Corsica and Cyprus as well as Crimea and in the high mountains of the Maghreb in North Africa .