Bryansky Les Zapovednik, Russia Photograph by Igor Shpilenok   Central Europe: Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Moldovia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests   282,300 square miles (731,200 square kilometers) -- about twice the size of Montana Critical/Endangered

· Successful Reintroductions
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Successful Reintroductions

The Bialowieza Forest, located in this ecoregion, is known for its high level of plant diversity, a large number of endemic species, and the successful reintroduction of both European bison and beavers. Overhunting virtually eliminated the European bison and beaver from most parts of this ecoregion. European bison were reintroduced in 1929 into the Bialowieza National Park in Poland and Belarus. Their range now extends outside of the park boundaries with around 300 in Poland and 240 in Belarus.

Special Features

The forests of this ecoregion change in character as they move from west to east. Beech forests dominate in the west, and pine, oak, and hornbeam dominate in the east. The Bialowieza Forest, in eastern Poland, supports Norway spruce and hornbeam. Protected as a national park, this forest--the largest in Europe--contains giant, old growth trees and swampy woodlands. It also harbors large mammals seldom found in the fragmented forests of the rest of the ecoregion.

	The eagle owl is one of the most formidable of raptors. They are so ferocious that they will even attack and kill other raptors such as goshawks. They have killed captive-raised peregrine falcons that were released to an area outside of Prague, making efforts to reintroduce the falcons difficult.

Wild Side

The European bison is among the largest mammals of Europe. Its massive body dwarfs smaller animals such as the roe deer. Other mammals include endangered European minks, otters, red and fallow deer, and wild boars. Uncommon birds, including eagle owls, black storks, and wallcreepers, also use the vast habitats of this ecoregion. Amphibians and reptiles such as alpine, smooth, and warty newts, fire salamanders, and green lizards often scurry under leaves and rocks to hide when raptors such as a spotted or booted eagle pass overhead.

Cause for Concern

Agriculture, industrial pollution, urban development and sprawl, irrigation, damming, land reclamation, road construction, and logging are all serious threats to this ecoregion.

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