Occurrence and berry production of Rubus chamaemorus L., Vaccinium oxycoccus L. & Vaccinium microcarpum Turcz. and Vaccinium vitis‐idaea L. on Swedish peatlands

During three consecutive years, 1978–1980, cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus L.), cranberries (Vaccinium oxycoccus L. & Vaccinium microcarpum Turcz.) and lingonberries Vaccinium vitis‐idaea L.) growing wild in Swedish forests and mires were inventoried in the annual National Forest Survey. Both the coverage and fertility of these were estimated. Observations from 42 000 test sites (314 m2 each) were processed according to geographical region, composition of tree and field layer, altitude and occurrence of draining ditches. Cloudberries cover 425 000 hectares or 1.5 % of the total investigated area (28.6 million hectares). The corresponding values for cranberries and lingonberries are 136000 hectares (0.5 %) and 1362000 ha (4.8%) respectively. Open mires have a greater degree of coverage by cloudberry and cranberry than wet forests on peat. The reverse situation is true for lingonberry. The total berry yield on peatland was estimated to 116.6 million kg (freshweight), distributed as 75.7 million kg cloudberries, 20.8 million kg cranberries and 20.1 million kg lingonberries. The corresponding production of lingonberries on mineral soils was 188.8 million kg. Both in wet forests and on mires, drained areas show lower berry production for the three species, with one exception. Lingonberries yielded better on drained mires. Productive stands of cloudberries and cranberries ought not to be drained for economic reasons.