The most biodiverse forests of Finland are located in the south

Unprotected state-owned forest in Vatajinkangas, Jämsä, Finland. Photo: Sini Saarela

The forests in Southern Finland are the richest in the country in terms of habitat and species diversity. These forests are important also for the people for many reasons: recreation, education and nature services like berry picking and hunting.

The southern part of the country has been intensively inhabited for a long time: the cities and the population has been growing bringing more land use in terms of agriculture and forestry. The biggest industries, even in paper and wood industry are based in the Southern Finland. This all has led to a heavy managed and fragmented landscape. Today the forests and forest biodiversity are threatened because of the same reasons.

Unprotected forest near Väärä-Väihi protection area in Jämsä, Finland. Photo: Greenpeace/John Jordan

Unprotected forest owned by UPM-Kymmene in Kymenlaakso, Finland. Photo: Mari Niemi

Most of the forest land in Southern Finland is owned by private owners (74,1%). Other big owners are the companies (12,0%) and the state (7,6%). The biggest company owners are UPM-Kymmene, Tornator/Stora Enso and Metsäliitto Group (Finnish Forest Research Institute).

Only 1,9 % of the forest land in Southern Finland is protected. (Finnish Forest Research Institute) The biggest threat for the unprotected forests is the pressure of paper and wood industry and the colonization in the populous parts.

There is no governmental or regional system to effectively protect the valuable forests in the southern part of the country. The existing protection program METSO is too slow and has too few resources to be able to take care of the needed protection alone. Many valuable forests are cut all the time on private, company and state owned land.

Another view of the unprotected forest near Väärä-Väihi protection area in Jämsä, Finland. Photo: Greenpeace/John Jordan

Due to the heavy forestry history both in the forests and on peat lands ecological restoration of areas is needed. Greenbelts need to be created in order to enhance the protection efficiency. By effective protection planning it is possible to preserve a lot of the southern forest biodiversity and habitats despite the earlier degradation and fragmentation as the forests are rather productive and can regain old-growth structures relatively fast.

Unprotected forest owned by UPM-Kymmene in Kymenlaakso, Finland. Photo: Mari Niemi