The Vegetation Changes and Recent Impact on the Mountain Birch Forest During the Last 40 Years

Abstract

The study described in this chapter focuses on vegetational changes in the mountain birch forest on the Finnmarksvidda, in the area of Maze and in the region of the Malselv valley in the county of Troms (northern Norway). The study covered a period of 37 years between 1964 and 2001. The area around the riverine settlement of Maze is predominantly covered by mountain birch, while at higher elevation and on the mountain tops, mainly treeless-fell lichen heath occurs interspersed with small islands of birch forest. A vegetational shift in the mountain birch forest plant communities is particularly noticeable in the vegetational ground layer, which includes herbs, mosses and lichens. The studies concentrated primarily on the dry birch forest type, because a floral change was not noticeable in the wetter birch forests (meadow or bog forests). Unfortunately, only a few plant sociological releves were conducted during 1964 and 1965. After 37 years the exact sites of these releves were revisited and considerable differences were noticed in species presence and abundance. However, this study was carried out only for the core area of Finnmarksvidda and is not decisive for the wet forest plant communities (Rubo chamaemorei–Betuletum and Geranio–Betuletum; see Chap. 3). During the last 30–40 years, the anthropogenic development of the Finnmarksvidda with road building, growth of small settlements and construction of cabin complexes has resulted in increased pressure on the mountain birch forest (cf. Chaps. 15 and 24). The birch forest was cut in places to make way for buildings and roads, but the most severe damage to the birch forest was from harvesting firewood as well as a great increase in reindeer grazing. Additionally, the effects of climatic change play an important role (see Chap. 1).