Protected forests (4.9)

Figure 4.9. Nature conservation areas by forest vegetation zone, 2005.

Conservation areas are in most cases established through legislation. They are areas where forests are allowed to develop naturally, or where fellings are severely restricted. Most nature conservation areas are on forestry land and are owned by the State.

The area of protected forests (forest and low productive forest) is currently 2.2 million hectares (9.6% of the total area of forests). In addition, there are 0.8 million hectares of forests under restricted forestry use. This brings the total area of forests under different protection restrictions to 3.0 million hectares, 13% of the total area of forests. The majority of protected forests are in northern Finland.

Statistics on protected forests in Finland are prepared on the basis of the national classification. The assessment guidelines (MCPFE classification) used in the classifications and statistics on forest protection in Europe are compiled and accepted by FOREST EUROPE, the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (2010). When compared with other European countries, the area of strictly protected forest in Finland (5.2% of all forest land) is the highest of all. Active management of conservation areas to enhance biodiversity is emphasised in other European countries. Extensive statutory conservation areas The area of protected forests in Finland has tripled since the 1970s. The establishment of statutory conservation areas has been based on conservation programmes for national parks, strict nature reserves, mires, waterfowl habitats, eskers, herbrich forests, shorelines and old-growth forests adopted by the Government in the 1970s–1990s. The first national parks and strict nature reserves in Finland were established in 1938. There are currently 37 national parks with a total land area of 799,000 hectares. Many national parks have been extended in recent years. There are 19 strict nature reserves with a total area of 153,000 hectares. Wilderness areas (12 areas, total 1.4 million hectares) were established in Lapland in 1991. The Natura 2000 network in Finland is almost complete.

An international team of experts carried out an assessment of the management of Finnish nature conservation areas in 2004. The assessment concluded that the level of management of conservation areas was good and, apart from a few exceptions, the aims of safeguarding biodiversity were achieved.

Other statutory forest protection areas

The Forest Act lists habitats of special importance for forest biodiversity, whose natural features must be preserved in the management. A total of over 120,000 of such small sites have been found in surveys of private forests. Their total area is about 95,000 hectares, which is 0.6% of the area of private forestry land. In their surveys, the forest industry companies have found about 11,000 hectares of habitats of special importance listed in the Forest Act, and Metsähallitus has found about 43,000 hectares of such habitats.

A preliminary survey suggests that there is a total of 674 hectares of protected wooded biotopes listed in the Nature Conservation Act (wild woods rich in noble broadleaves, hazel woods and common alder woods).

The Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO) lists several voluntary measures for the conservation of forest biodiversity in private forests. As a result of the programme, a total of 1,300 new protected areas were established in private forests in 2005–2010. Their total area is about 12,500 hectares, and most of these areas are permanently protected. The combined value of the land and growing stock of the approximate area of 10,000 hectares to be placed under protection is about EUR 35 million.

Under funding from the METSO programme, Metsähallitus has restored³⁰ a total of 31,000 hectares of heathland forests and drained peatlands located in the protected areas under its management by 2010.

Table 4.9. Protected forests and forests in restricted forestry use, 2008.

Source: Finnish Forest Research Institute, Forest Statistics Information Service

Links

• MCPFE classification
• MCPFE Information document
• The Forest Biodiversity Programme for Southern Finland (METSO) 2008–2016
  

30 Restoration refers to a process where an ecosystem changed by human activity is restored as near to its natural state as possible. In the restoration of forest ecosystems, the primary goal is to restore natural tree species compositions, structural stand characteristics and ecological processes. The methods used in restoration are prescribed burning, production of deadwood, establishment of small open areas, and stopping up ditches.