Example of biodiversity protection in commercial forests

Safeguarding biodiversity in privately owned forests is a natural part of forest management in Finnish commercial forests.In Finland, safeguarding biodiversity has been laid down in the Forest Act, which lists large numbers of key biotopes that must be left outside operations.These include, inter alia, brooks, springs, fertile swamps and patches of herb-rich forest and their surroundings.

In Finland, family forest owners are increasingly interested in the opportunity to improve the richness of their forest biodiversity.In practice, the sustainability and nature values of forestry are attended to even more closely than the law requires.If they wish, forest owners can get help in improving biodiversity e.g. from the advisors of Forest Management Associations.

Forest owner Tuuli Murtonen from Hamina participates in PEFC certification, as do most Finnish forest owners.Tuuli is interested in improving the living conditions for demanding species in her forests.Last spring an experimental burnt-over area was created in her ridge forest with the aim of improving the living conditions of those species which are dependent on burnt wood.Some living trees of commercially low value were also left in the regeneration area to be burnt over.

The aim is to also create favourable living conditions for as many species as possible in purely commercial forests. “Retention trees left standing after felling help preserve and create diverse tree species and growing stock,which will turn into mature livingtree individuals and large decaying trees in the course of time.Aspen, sallow and other species that grow in relatively low numbers are the most valuable for safeguarding biodiversity,” Tuuli comments, remembering what she has been taught by the advisor.

Tuuli, just as many other forest owners, is happy with the option of combining profitable wood production and respect of nature and richness of species on same forest area. Tuuli believes that forestry is an excellent investment, since as you augment your own capital, you can also look after your environment.

Example of voluntary forest protection

Samuli (52) is the owner of about 150 hectares of forest in Päijät-Häme in Southern Finland. Most of it is commercial forest, set in a cultural landscape and interspersed with fields. Like every forest owner today, Samuli manages his forests in a sustainable way. This means that natural values and biodiversity are preserved also in the every day management of commercial forests.

Besides biodiversity protection in commercial forests. Samuli has also wanted to set aside special sites with high ecological values. The roughly 10-hectare forest area of Huhdankalliot has been excluded from commercial use ever since the time of Samuli’s grandfather, at least for the past 120 years.Last autumn, Samuli received the decision that this forest will be included in the METSO Programme as a permanent protection site. The land and hunting rights remained with Samuli, but the government purchased the area as a conservation area and paid compensation for it.

There are many old dead standing trees in Huhdankalliot, making excellent homes for cavity nesters, and Siberian flying squirrel droppings have been seen in the forest.The plentiful decaying tree trunks lying on the ground conceal a diverse microfauna; a lot of tinder fungi and other rot fungi are seen on the moss-covered trunks. Lying trees have mostly resulted from windfalls, but Samuli has also felled a few aged trees when walking by with his saw, and left them lying.

Samuli likes to sit by a campfire under a rock shelf on his hunting trips.There are many more black grouse and capercaillie at Huhdankalliot today than in Samuli’s youth.However, he leaves them alone and concentrates his hunting on small game and deer.

Samuli is very happy with the METSO Programme which makes protection of ecologically valuable forest areas possible.It is important to him that as the forest owner, he can make his own decisions on protecting an area, from his own points of departure.Samuli believes that voluntary participation and the full compensation payable for the conservation belong to modern times; the time of enforced protection is in the past.

METSO Programme in a nutshell

  • The METSO Programme aims to halt the ongoing decline in forest biotopes and species by 2016.
  • This is to be achieved by:
  • improving Finland’s network of protected areas;
  • continuing and enhancing the application of habitat management methods in commercially managed forests;
  • improving the knowledge base to facilitate the evaluation and development of measures;
  • collaboration between forest and environmental organisations, advice given to forest owners, training of professional foresters, and related communications work.
  • Conservation under the METSO Programme is based on forest owners’ voluntary contribution. Forest owners can offer sites for protection. The authorities then compare tenders and choose the most suitable sites according to ecological site selection criteria.
  • The METSO Programme enables the forest owners to protect their forests permanently or temporarily. Forest owner will be compensated for the costs and loss of income.
  • Forest owner can also sign to a special habitat management plan in order to emphasise biodiversity objectives in commercially managed forests. The costs of these actions are fully compensated.
  • Learn more about METSO: