In the wake of worldwide efforts to assess not only plant and animal species but also habitats in regard to their conservation status, the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) published the country's first Red List of Habitat Types in 2008. Just under 400 habitat types were assessed, grouped into eight broad landscape types. Already back then, 70% of habitat types within the largest landscape type by area – forest – were listed as threatened.
For the 2018 update of the list, the assessment method was adjusted to the system recommended by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2014, which consists of six threat categories and two special categories. Despite these methodological differences, a comparison of the 2008 and 2018 assessments, according to SYKE, allows for the conclusion that the overall conservation status of Finland’s forests has deteriorated over the past ten years. As of 2018, 76% of forest habitat types were threatened and 21% were near-threatened. For 3%, the data was deficient.
Boreal pine forest on a dry, nutrient-poor site: Such forests are threatened by nitrogen fallout. © S. Tuominen
Rotation forestry
In both Red-List assessments, forestry was identified as the main threat. Particularly rotation forestry, which was enforced from the 1950s onwards and dominates today, has led to the ecological degradation of Finnish forests by decreasing the share of hardwood tree species, diminishing deadwood loads and annihilating late-successional structures. Moreover, active control and prevention has greatliy reduced the role of natural disturbances such as wildfires and beetle calamities, which contribute to structural diversity in virgin boreal forests.
As a further threat, especially to nutrient-poor forest habitats, SYKE mentions atmospheric nitrogen deposition.
Subarctic birch woodland damaged by the autumnal moth. © A. Saikkonen
Climate change
Climate change, by contrast, has so far not contributed much to the degradation of Finnish forest habitat types, according to SYKE. An arguable exception are the downy-birch woodlands that prevail at the alpine and arctic forest lines, which on the Red List are assigned to the landscape type of fell. These woodlands have increasingly been damaged by the autumnal moth in recent years, whose calamities are regarded as a symptom of climate change.
Recommendations:
Nature-oriented forestry and protection
To improve the situation of forest habitats, SYKE recommends a greater use of nature-oriented silvicultural methods such as controlled burns, legacy retention and continuous-cover forestry, as well as protection of the most threatened habitat types. Some of these measures, such as legacy retention, have already become common practice in recent years. Moreover, 12% of Finland’s forest area is already protected.
In an effort to increase the protected forest area further, the Finnish government launched the Forest Biodiversity Programme (METSO) in 2008. Under this programme, which is expected to run until 2025, forest owners who voluntarily set aside their forests for protection receive full compensation. The programme has enjoyed strong support from all stakeholders and has led to increased collaboration and knowledge transfer between forest owners, forest and environmental professionals and the general public.
For full summaries of the results of both Red-List assessments (2008, 2018), please refer to the joint website of Finland's environmental administration.
