Four vegetation zones

Climate, history and biotic factors divide Sweden into different forest ecological systems.

The conifers dominate in the boreal coniferous belt, and only a few deciduous species are found here. The zone is a western extension of the Taiga that stretches all the way to Siberia.

In many places in Europe the north European mixed forest region (the Boreonemoral zone) is cultivated to a much greater extent than in Sweden. Here the pine and spruce forests dominate, but there are also deciduous woodlands on the more fertile soils.

The northernmost limit of the north European deciduous forest region is found in southernmost part of Sweden, where oak and beech are typical species. Along the Scandinavian mountain chain can be found a treeless alpine zone as well as a subalpine mountain birch region.

Altough most of Sweden is within the boreal coniferous zone, a lagre part of southern Sweden belongs to the boreonemoral vegetation zone.