lichen species in Europe.
Another, quite different, example of the boreal forests of Northern Europe is the Swedish coastal forest of Höga Kusten (Site 134 on Map 9.3). Such coastal forests are rare in Europe. The location and the favourable climatic conditions of Höga Kusten make it particularly interesting from a botanical and faunistic standpoint. Here, the lichen old man's beard (Usnea longissima), a virgin forest indicator growing on Norway spruce, is still present. This species has disappeared from about 95 per cent of 122 locations in Sweden where it was found before 1970 (Esseen and Ericson, 1982). For the survival of this species it is essential that forest stands are able to develop naturally in unaltered conditions. It has been observed that managed forests are less likely to provide these habitat functions than non-managed forests. A part of the area (3250 ha) was established as a national park in 1984 and is surrounded by several nature reserves.