Near Narvik, Norway Photograph by Anker Nielsen   Europe: Norway, Sweden, Finland Tundra   93,900 square miles (243,200 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Mississippi Vulnerable

· Cool and Diverse
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Cool and Diverse

The Scandinavian Montane Birch Forests and Grasslands stretch along the Scandinavian Caledonides Mountain ridge. Because of the length and height of this region, there is a variety of ecosystems, ranging from arctic-like to alpine.

Special Features

This ecoregion stretches all along the Scandinavian Caledonides mountain ridge. It is also home to the largest of all glaciers on the European continent. When older glaciers retreated thousands of years ago, they left deposits that formed moraines, eskers, and other glacial features, which influence todayâs plants and animals by changing the soil composition. Mountain birch dominates subalpine areas, while Norway spruce forms forests of stunted trees near the tree line. Above the tree line grow willow thickets and herbaceous plants. The treeline of this region is not constant due to latitude; trees donât grow above 4,600 feet (1,400 m) in the south or 1,300 feet (400 m) in the north of this ecoregion.

	Snowy owls are nearly all white and blend in well with their surroundings. They often sit on the ground while resting and will lay their pure white eggs in a hole in the snow. Because females must stay with their eggs at all times to keep them warm, males bring their food.

Wild Side

As in other ecoregions, the population of predatory mammals and birds depends on the richness of the small animal population. Predatory birds such as snowy owls and rough legged buzzards reproduce only in years when small mammals are abundant. Ptarmigan and willow grouse are the only year-round herbivorous birds of the ecoregion. Small populations of reindeer (caribou) remain in isolated pockets in southern Norway. The lynx, brown bear, wolf, and wolverine comprise the four largest predatory mammals. Mosses grow on trunks and branches of conifers and deciduous trees.

Cause for Concern

The most serious threats to this ecoregion include resource exploitation such as logging, habitat fragmentation caused by development of land and increased agriculture, and land uses such as recreation and tourism that disturb wildlife and plant species. The mosses of this ecoregion are suffering from air pollution and the loss of host trees due to logging.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.