Picea abies (+ Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Vaccinium myrtillus) (4833' N 1348' E)

Description:

2011-12-25 Upper Austria, district Rohrbach - Ameisberg region (710 msm Quadrant 7448/2).This forest has been planted some 50 years ago: when I was young it still consisted of almost exclusively spruce (all of them platned), which were probably 15-20 years old (that was in the 1970ies).Meanwhile, trees have grown to an age of around 50 years (there are only rather few older trees which haven't been cut then, in the 1950ies/60ies), and some younger ones filling the gaps of felled trees.Interestingly, even though there once were only spruce it is the fir tree which already grows many young ones amidst them, and there are even some beeches already. This only shows how very marginally native (if native at all) spruce is in this habitat, and at this altitude.Undergrowth is very sparse and almost exclusively is composed of Vaccinium myrtillus.Field name (Flurname): ReidlClose-up of one young fir tree here.