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Finnish Forestry - management

One in 7 Finns come from families who own forests, Four species of tree are predominant in Finland’s
little wonder then that Forestry is very important then to forests: Scots Pine; Downy Birch; Silver Birch and
the Finnish economy where 73% of the land mass is Norway Spruce, the latter being the product favoured
covered in forests. for production.

We are looking here at Forestry in Finland specifically as In the colder climate of Finland trees grow slowly, grow
this is the source of timber used in the construction of straight and grow to produce a dense structure.,
Ritsu’s log buildings. Estonia too is heavily forested but features that are of key import to log building producers
trees from Finland have a range of properties that are like Ritsu.
more valuable to a log building manufacturer such as
Ritsu.

Figure 6 - Finnish Forestry, selective felling, leaving specimen and seed trees for natural regeneration.

Forestry practices in Finland are concerned mostly with small stands of forests with trees of similar age, which are
managed to a regeneration cycle covering planting to harvesting, the aim to ensure continuity of supply with a
regeneration cycle that can be anywhere between 50 and 120 years in accordance with the National Forest
Strategy.

After felling, replanting may be encouraged naturally with seed and specimen trees left, sowing of seeds artificially
or by planting nursery grown saplings. The specimen trees will be left to die and contribute to the overall well-
being of the forest.

Commercially managed forests will be thinned periodically, removing up to 30% of the trees. These thinning’s,
along with the stumps used to be left to degrade but today have a commercial value and can be used in bio-energy
plants. Note that these bio-energy plants are now designed to minimise harmful pollution and experimental plants
are now planned to capture the carbon.

Selective felling is used in recreational and landscape forests, creating a more bio-diverse habitat that supports a
rich range of animals including: bear, wolves, lynx, moose, birds, fish and plant-life, recreational forestry connects
Finns to their ancestral homes.

Forestry in Finland accounts for around 20% of all Finnish exports and about 4% of Finland’s GDP - it’s natural
attributes and economic value appreciated by all.