Like the species-rich genus Pinus itself, pine forests occur in various forms worldwide. There are three types of pine in Central Europe, of course. The most common and widespread species is the forest pine (Pinus sylvestris). It is the most common type of pine everywhere and the only naturally occurring in the northern part. Only in Austria is the Southern European Montan black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. Nigra) common, in Germany it was occasionally grown forestry and is overgrown, but does not form any natural forests. The low-lying mountain pine (Pinus mugo) forms bushes in the mountains at the forest border in their lower form (subsp. Mugo), their upright growth forms (subsp. Uncinata and rotundata) can occasionally occur in the forest. The fourth type could be connected to the Swiss stone pine or Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra), which forms forests on the Alpine tree line. Because of their completely different ecology, these are not dealt with here (see: Arven-Lärchenwald).