|
|
Forest cover in landscapes (4.7)
 |
| Figure 4.7. Land use in Finland, 2010.
|
In the long term, the development of forest species depends on
the forest cover, i.e. whether it is preserved or whether unbroken
cover is fragmented permanently as a result of other land
use. Observation of land use on the landscape level produces
information on the integrity of forests, their size, form and location.
Landscape-level observation also enables us to assess
what kinds of habitats are available for forest species.
The dominant landscape element in Finland is forest. About
78% of the total area of Finland is forest or forestry land. Mires
account for 34% of the land area. The second most dominant
landscape element is lakes and other small water bodies. There
are more than 180,000 lakes or ponds that are at least 500
sq.m in area. Their total area is 3.4 million hectares, which is
10% of the total area of the country. The rest, i.e. 12% of the
total area, is agricultural land, constructed areas, traffic areas,
or other open land areas.
No major changes have taken place in the relative share of forest
cover in Finland over the past few decades. Changes in forest
cover on the landscape level have mainly been caused by construction
and changes in agriculture, such as the afforestation
of abandoned meadows and fields or the conversion of drained
peat-lands into wooded land. Because of dispersed settlement
patterns, the permanent road network in Finland is rather dense.
However, the majority of roads are narrow and do not pose much
of an obstacle to the spreading of species.
There are as yet no methods or indicators to monitor changes
in the landscape level with sufficient accuracy for practical applications.
Links
|
