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Cause for concern across the Eurasian Continent
Palaearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
East European forest steppe
Many of the species found in this ecoregion are endangered. While some habitats are protected, such as Rzhycshevskoe Game Reserve in Ukraine and the Oka River Valley Biosphere Reserve in Russia, not enough land is preserved to ensure the survival of many species. Habitats are being fragmented by or lost entirely to increasing agriculture expansion, resource extraction, and industrialization.
Palaearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Eastern Anatolian deciduous forests
Several hydroelectric projects are planned for the Munzur Valley. The inundation resulting from dams will submerge areas containing high plant diversity. Aside from the Munzur Vadisi Milli Park, this ecoregion is largely unprotected from habitat destruction. And thousands of years of deforestation and erosion have already dramatically affected the forest cover here.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
English Lowlands beech forests
The loss of natural habitat is a major concern for this ecoregion, and air pollution may be causing a decline in beech trees by increasing the trees' susceptibility to disease. The pollution may also be damaging epiphyte populations. Another threat is introduced species that are replacing native beech and yew woodland species. Other threats include intensified agriculture and fragmentation of habitat.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests
Unfortunately many of these forests, especially in Georgia (the country), have been drastically reduced due to human activity. They have been either logged or cleared for tea, citrus, and tobacco cultivation. Weed species, often introduced to the area, have spread aggressively and often overrun native species. Low montane forests of northeast Anatolia are more intact due to their relative inaccessibility. The commercial collection of bulbs is a threat to some native bulb species, including Scilla, Galanthus, Lilium, and Cyclamen. Peat cutting and mining are problematic in certain locations as well.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Hokkaido deciduous forests
Only 30 percent of the Blakeston's fish owl nesting sites are protected within national parks or protected areas, and no regulation exists for the general protection of owl habitats. The mixed forests that the owls depend on have mostly been exploited for logging, with remaining forests heavily affected by horse and cattle grazing. The replacement of natural forests with pine plantations may be related to a rapid decline in the hazel grouse population.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Huang He Plain mixed forests
The limited amount of protected land that exists in this ecoregion is now covered with secondary scrub and grassland. There is no protection for original vegetation types such as deciduous broadleaf forest and swamp grasslands. Besides habitat destruction, hunting and the heavy use of pesticides also threaten wildlife populations.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Madeira evergreen forests
As on many isolated islands, introduced species threaten the native plants and animals of the Madeira Evergreen Forests. The habitats of the ecoregion are threatened by a variety of human activities, from clearing land for agriculture to urban development. Today, only scattered fragments remain of the once common dry evergreen forests.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Manchurian mixed forests
In recent decades, heavy logging has dramatically changed the composition of much of these forests. Timber harvesting, fires, and over collection have also greatly reduced the amount of Asian ginseng, which is rare or extinct across much of this area.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Nihonkai evergreen forests
These coastal plains and hills have been almost entirely developed or converted for agriculture since rice cultivation was introduced to Japan about 2,000 years ago. The natural forest communities are now present only in scattered fragments near the sanctuaries around temples and shrines and in inaccessible mountain areas, river gorges, and protected areas. Secondary vegetation now dominates this ecoregion in the form of forests of Japanese red pine and oaks or grasslands of Japanese silver grass, lawn grass, and bamboo.
Palearctic
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Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Nihonkai montane deciduous forests
The primary deciduous forests of this ecoregion are almost completely depleted in Japan and have been replaced by conifer plantations. Thus the habitat range for large mammals and some populations are facing local extinction. Hunting and development are also major concerns.
