Research area

The research area includes about 200 hectares of land cultivated by slash-and-burn in the 19th century. In some places, the presence of birch as the predominant tree species forms a relic of the vegetation that developed after shifting agriculture. The most recent slash-and-burn areas date back to the 1870's. Exploitation of the wood resources in the research area began in the early 1900's. However, the fellings were rather small and the area has retained its wilderness character.

The research area is over 1300 hectares in size, with about half of the area in forestry use. Landscape forests, high-elevation forests and protection forests account for 30% of the area. The proportion of the forest area used for research purposes is close to 20%. The majority of the forests are spruce-dominated upland stands. Only about 6% of the area is wetland. The Paljakka Strict Nature Reserve, administered by the Finnish Forest and Park Service, lies to the north of the research area.

The purpose of the research forests is to serve the needs of Melta's research programme, and to provide, through the management and use of the forests and the natural environment, the facilities required for large-scale field research. The high-altitude forests in the area have the features typical of forests growing on such sites: poorly-growing, low-density forests that are repeatedly damaged by the build up of ice, rime and snow in the tree crowns, with birch and wavy hair-grass filling the forest openings. The soil in the area is fine-textured and fertile, the low effective temperature sum forming the minimum factor limiting tree growth. In these difficult conditions, researchers have an ideal opportunity to identify the factors influencing forest ecosystems and the growing of tree stands.

Several experiments have been established in the Paljakka Research Area on topics associated with the special conditions of the area:

• Forest regeneration in high-altitude areas
• Effect of prescribed burning and soil amelioration on forest regeneration
• Development of under-storey trees following release
• Effect of elevation on temperature conditions and the snow cover
• Restoration of the natural forest cover following slash-and-burn agriculture and forest management
• Experiments in natural stand