Forest Characteristics

The forests of Bohemian–Saxon Switzerland form one connected natural unit spanning both sides of the Czech–German border. Although administratively divided into the Bohemian Switzerland National Park and the National Park Sächsische Schweiz, nature itself recognizes no boundary. The entire area rises from the same sandstone bedrock, which was subsequently uplifted and eroded to form a unique European landscape of table mountains, deep gorges, rock cities, and basaltic hills. Together, these features create a highly contrasting forest–rock landscape that ranks among the most valuable forest regions in Europe.

Forests dominate the region, covering over 90% of Saxon Switzerland and the vast majority of Bohemian Switzerland, where more than 80% of the area is designated for the protection of natural processes. As a result, both national parks are characterised by predominantly near-natural or natural forest ecosystems and a largely closed forest–rock mosaic with a high diversity of biotopes and habitats.

A defining feature of Bohemian–Saxon Switzerland is its remarkable microclimatic diversity. The porous sandstone drains water quickly, resulting in nutrient-poor soils and ephemeral streams, while the deeply dissected terrain creates extreme contrasts between dry, sun-exposed plateaus and windswept rock edges, as well as cold, permanently humid gorges. These conditions produce a phenomenon known as vegetation inversion: montane species occur in cool, low-lying ravines, while warmth-loving lowland species are found at higher elevations. Despite the relatively low absolute altitudes, this steep environmental gradient allows numerous montane and even arctic-alpine plant species to persist in the region. Average annual temperatures range between 6 and 8 °C, with approximately 800 mm of precipitation per year, increasing gradually from the Elbe Valley toward the Lusatian Mountains.

These climatic and geomorphological conditions result in highly differentiated spatial distribution of forest types. Beech forests naturally dominates basaltic summits and gentle slopes, where a species-rich herb layer develop, particularly in spring. Sandstone plateaus and rocky edges are characterised by sparse, relict pine forests, some more than two centuries old, often composed of slow-growing Scots pine adapted to drought, nutrient-poor soils, and extreme exposure. These transitional forest–rock “battle zones” are a characteristic feature of the region. In gorges, ravines, and shaded slopes, biologically rich deciduous forests occur, dominated by sycamore maple, linden, ash, accompanied by abundant ferns and mosses. Cooler sandstone valleys and waterlogged depressions host naturally occurring or only slightly altered spruce forests, often with a high volume of standing and lying deadwood that provides habitat for countless fungi, insects, and small animals.

At a finer ecological scale, forest communities display remarkable floristic diversity. Species otherwise typical of mountainous regions, such as yellow lichen (Psilolechia lucida) and knotty white root (Streptopus), grow at the base of shaded rock faces. Moist gorges provide habitat for rare plants such as Lunaria rediviva and Aruncus dioicus, while warm ridge pine forests support specialised species like marsh Labrador tea (Rhododendron tomentosum). Basalt-rich beech forests are notable for their abundance of spring geophytes, including anemones, nine-toothed toothwort (Cardamine), and hollow corydalis (Corydalis cava).

Although today’s forests were largely shaped by historical human cultivation, extensive forest transformation in the past led to the dominance of managed spruce and pine monocultures in many areas, replacing original mixed beech, oak, and fir forests. Due to their uniform structure, these stands are less resilient and highly vulnerable to disturbances as clearly demonstrated by recent bark beetle outbreaks. Forest development across the region is highly dynamic and influenced by drought, rising temperatures, bark beetle infestations, and forest fires. Drought conditions favour sessile oak and pine, while beech, silver fir, and spruce show lower tolerance. After the extremely dry year of 2018, the amount of wood infested by bark beetles rose sharply, primarily bark beetles infest weakened spruce stands. However, infestation has been declining since the 2020s. Areas affected by bark beetles or fire are rapidly recolonised by pioneer species, particularly birch and aspen, while spruce and beech also regenerate naturally.

As a consequence of both disturbance processes and a long-term shift in management objectives, forest composition has changed significantly. While spruce dominated large parts of the forests until the end of the 1990s, it had largely been replaced by a broader mix of tree species by the early 2020s, marking a transition toward more diverse, near-natural mixed forests. Beech and pine now account for around half of the tree population, alongside birch, oak, and larch. The presence of old silver fir trees is of particular conservation importance, as the species was once common but is now considered endangered in the region.

In contrast to intensively managed multifunctional forests, large areas within both national parks are now being returned to a “wild forest” state through the cessation of forestry use. These forests are characterised by site-adapted native tree and shrub species, high volumes of deadwood, natural regeneration processes, and numerous small-scale structures that remain largely undisturbed. Such conditions provide essential habitat for species that are sensitive to disturbance and rare or absent in cultivated landscapes.

The high degree of naturalness is further evidenced by indicator species. In Saxon Switzerland, 13 relict species of primeval forest beetles have been recorded, two of which occur exclusively within this national park in Germany. Both parks host endangered bat species, including Bechstein’s bat (Myotis bechsteinii), the barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus), and the rare Alcathoe bat (Myotis alcathoe). Indicator fungi of old-growth conditions, such as Hericium coralloides, Hericium flagellum, and Hericium erinaceus, also underline the ecological value of these forests.

Despite being divided administratively Bohemian and Saxon Switzerland form one continuous ecological forest landscape. Natural processes operate across borders, and even after large-scale disturbances such as bark beetle outbreaks or the 2022 wildfire in Bohemian Switzerland, the region demonstrates an impressive capacity for regeneration. The result is an increasingly heterogeneous mosaic of young and mature stands with high structural complexity and biodiversity value. Bohemian–Saxon Switzerland thus represents an exceptional example of a cross-border forest landscape where natural dynamics can be observed in real time, illustrating how forests evolve, renew themselves, and adapt when human influence is reduced to a minimum.