Vegetation maps in the National Atlas of Sweden

This paper reviews the vegetation maps in the National Atlas of Sweden (published 1953–1971). The atlas comprises 520 maps, of which eight thematic issues are devoted to flora and vegetation, including seven maps at 1:2,000,000 scale, eight schematic maps at smaller scales, and 21 range maps of vascular plant species. The article analyzes in detail the vegetation regionalization map, forest vegetation map, peatland maps, and a series of forestry thematic maps (forest areas, site classes, stand composition, ownership groups, and ground vegetation types), noting that these maps employ various cartographic methods (e.g., qualitative background method, dot method) combined with extensive explanatory texts, comprehensively reflecting the patterns of Sweden's vegetation cover. The author concludes that despite certain shortcomings (e.g., absence of a universal vegetation map, overly generalized legends), the atlas's high cartographic precision and rich data make it a valuable reference for studying Swedish vegetation.