Fine material and organic matter have accumulated in shallow bays and impressions and then emerged from the sea as fine sediments (picture below).

The origin of the soil, its development over time along with the primary succession of vegetation partly explain the distinct features in the coastal area forests in the region Ostrobothnia.

The coastal forests also indicate that the climate is different compared to the inner parts of western Finland. In some coastal forests one can still see marks of forest grazing and heavy cuttings from above which were common practices earlier in history.

The following series of photos show some distict features in these coastal area forests. Click on a framed picture to see an enlargement. Use the back button on your reader to return to the previous page.

Cultivated pine stand
– One of the oldest cultivations in the archipelago in the Gulf of Bothnia.

Excursion to Mickel's islands
– air photos from one of the uttermost groups of islands in the Gulf of Bothnia.

Spruce condition along the Gulf of Bothnia
– abtracts from previous studies of the (poor) condition together with illustrating photos.