FORESTS IN FINLAND,    FORESTS IN EUROPE

Conservation areas are areas where forests are allowed to develop naturally, or where woodcuttings are severely restricted. The establishment of statutory conservation areas in Finland has been based on conservation programmes for national parks, strict nature reserves, mires, waterfowl habitats, eskers, herb-rich forests, shorelines and old-growth.
In Finland, there are over 4.8 million hectares of protected forests and areas under restricted forestry use. This represents 13 % of Finland’s total forest area. The majority of protected forests are in northern Finland. Owing to many protection programmes and decisions, the area of protected forests has increased three-fold in Finland over the past 30 years.
The first national parks and nature reserves in Finland were established in 1938. There are currently 35 national parks, 19 strict nature reserves and 12 wilderness reserves. The share of strictly protected forests in Finland is among the largest in Europe.
In 2002, the Finnish Government adopted the Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO) with the aim to improve the maintenance of habitats and structural features of forests vital to the survival of endangered species in private forests. New areas and networks of areas that support forest biodiversity are created, and the biodiversity of existing conservation areas is improved. The principles of new protection methods are voluntary participation by forest owners, preservation of ownership and full compensation of economic losses.
The Natura 2000 network safeguards the biotopes and habitats of species defined in the Habitats and Birds Directives of the EU 27. The majority of Finland’s Natura 2000 areas, 97 percent, are nature conservation areas established under national decisions, or they are part of national conservation programmes or areas protected in some other way. The Natura 2000 network in Finland consists of 1 860 protected sites whose total area is 4.9 million hectares, of which 3.6 million hectares, or three fourths, are land areas.

The natural characteristics of habitats of special importance, such as this spring, must be preserved during silvicultural works and woodcuttings. (Metla/Erkki Oksanen)

Deadwood is left in the forests in woodcuttings. Deadwood helps the survival of  certain species (e.g. woodpeckers) on the site across tree generations. (Metla/Erkki Oksanen)

Nature conservation areas in Finland. (Metla/Finnish Statistical Yearbook of Forestry 2010)

Biodiversity of Finland’s forests is also affected by how the commercial forests are managed. In commercial forests, biodiversity is promoted, for example, by maintaining valuable habitats, increasing the amount of deadwood, and saving large broadleaves in cuttings.