Ecological Planning of State Owned

forest in Finland
Forestry seminar August 28, 2003

Petri Heinonen

1 2002

Lands and waters administered by Metshallitus

WATERS
3.3 mill. hectares
LANDS
9.0 mill. hectares:
27 % of the total land area

Conservation
areas, wilderness
reserves and
45%
other areas
4.1 mill.
hectares

Forest land in
managed forests

38%

3.4 mill.
hectares;
17 % of the
productive
forest land

17%

Scrub and non-productive land

1.5 mill. hectares
2 2002

Metshallitus applies functional planning systems

Natural resource planning

Participation
Stakeholders
participate in planning

Landscape
ecological
planning

Special
planning

Operational
planning

3 2002

Landscape Ecological Planning

The development of the method was started in 1993 together with Finnish Environment
Institute, Pilot plan of Vuokki in 1994 and large-scale launching of the project in 1995.

Objectives
To ensure the survival of an area's natural species over the long term
To ensure the multiple use of forests: game habitats, scenery, hiking routes, other
recreational use and forestry
To reinforce areas protected area network by valuable nature habitats in production
forests
To harmonise ecological, economical and socio-cultural objectives

General Principles
Planning area 20 000 - 100 000 hectares
Plans were drawn in cooperative projects by specialists representing forestry, nature
conservation and recreational use of forests
Stakeholders and local inhabitants are invited to participate
4 2002

The Data Collection in the LEP

GIS
Tree data
Site
Water condition
Key biotopes
Threatened species
Game
Other livelihoods
Protected areas
Other special areas

Other sources of data

Base maps
Aerial photos
Land-use planning
Mapping of nature values
Other inventories
Register of threatened sp.
Special plans

Participatory planning
Working groups
Local inhabitants
National group of
specialists

Field inventory
Species
Dead and decaying wood
other structural features
5 2002

Landscape Ecological Plan

Key Biotopes
Threatened species

Protected area network

Ecological connection

Game areas

Restoration

Scenic forests
Cultural values

Biodiversity
enhancement
areas

Special areas for

other livelihoods

Landscape Ecological Plan

Targets for proportion of old-growth forests, broadleaved trees and broadleaved dominated
forests and for prescribed burning

6 2002

Landscape Ecological Planning Project

All in all 112 Lanscape Ecological Plans were drawn

The plans cover 6,4 mill. hectares of state lands

The treeless tundra of Northern Lapland is not covered

The project took 160 person years of labour

20 person years of labour by professional biologists
Majority of the labour was field work

An open process: more than 6000 persons beyond Metshallitus participated in the
planning process one way or another.

221 Public Hearings totalling 4420 persons

115 Stakeholder Group Meetings totalling 873 various parties

100 other occasions totalling 943 persons

Total project costs 7,6 mill.

7 2002

The Results of LEP

Special areas were defined in the commercial and recreational forests of the state as follows:

All in all 168 000 hectares of Valuable Nature Habitats (WKH) of which
101 300 hectares on productive forest lands

All in all 181 000 hectares of Ecological Connections of which

87 000 hectares on productive forest lands and of these

28 000 hectares spruce dominated; the nature values of these will be preserved
permanently

6883 occurrences of threatened and other remarkable species were found

129 500 hectares of productive forest land was left permanently beyond forestry

Forestry was limited on 240 000 hectares of productive forest land

Scenic forests
Cultural areas
Game areas

The Net Ecological Investment 24 mill. /a

8 2002

Evaluation of Landscape Ecological Planning

A Holistic Multidimensional Evaluation
Evaluation was implemented by Helsinki Consulting Group Oy Ltd 1.6.2000 - 31.5.2001.
Team Leader: Prof. Jari Niemel University of Helsinki, Faculty of Science, Department
of ecology and systematics.
Team of 10 members representing multiple scientific expertise
General Statement
Landscape-ecological planning of Metshallitus represents a remarkable development
towards ecologically, economically and socio-culturally sustainable forestry.

Metshallitus has put the landscape-ecological planning system into practice fairly
efficiently and quickly.

Implementation of the landscape-ecological plans will have significant positive

impacts on preservation of biodiversity and maintenance of species.

There are, however, some deficiencies and problems related to the scientific basis and
application of the planning system, and therefore further development is necessary.
9 2002

Development of Landscape Ecological Planning

Protection of Habitats
and
Natural Dynamics

Environmental
Code of
Forestry

Instructions for
LEP

Monitoring
of impacts

Recreation
Nature Tourism
Natural livelihoods

Systems
GIS
Cutting Budget
Reporting
Monitoring of
Activities

Research
Development
Cooperation

Kainuu Project
Combining

NRMPs and
LEP

Participatory
Planning

Other Projects
PP at operational
level
BD enhancement
Prescribed burning
Restoration
Other

10 2002

Participatory Planning by Metshallitus

Regional Natural Resources Management Plans

Kainuu
West-Finland
East-Lapland
West-Lapland
Ostrobotnia
East-Finland
North-Lapland
Total

Public
hearings
12
19
31
30
24
15
30
161

Participants

Comments
given
1600
2090
1700
4800
500
2800
5200
18 690

600
520
630
690
440
1350
2100
6330

Number of
stakeholder groups
60
43
60
70
35
47
87
402

Working group
meetings
20
34
20
26
11
10
58
179

Landscape Ecological Plans

Kainuu
West-Finland
East-Lapland
West-Lapland
Ostrobotnia
East-Finland
North-Lapland
Total

Public
hearings
45
29
42
42
25
31
6
220

Participants
1090
670
515
542
510
935
150
4412

Working group
meetings
10
29
15
14
13
14
20
115

No. of stakeholder
groups
87
171
107
100
92
191
125
873

Other
occasions
10
7
10
30
2
9
32
100

Participants
250
108
149
71
13
200
152
943
11 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: WKH

Ecologically Valuable Habitats
45 000
40 000

38260

35 000
30 000
25 000
20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
0

12 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: Age-Classes

Age-Class Distributions
30

Ecologically Valuable Habitats

Scenic & Cultural Forests
Commercial Forests

25

20

15

10

0
0-20

21-40

41-60

61-80

81-100

101-125

126-150

151-175

176-200

201-

13 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: Site-Classes

Site-Class Distribution
70

60

Commercial Forests
Ecologically Valuable Habitats
Scenic & Cultural Forests

50

40

30

20

10

Herb-Rich

Grass-Herb

Mesic

Mesic-Dry

Dry Site

Very Poor Site

14 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: endangered species

Number of locations of endangered species
2500

2000

1500

1000

500

Species protected by law

Nationally endangered

Regionally endangered

Other important species

15 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: the magnitude

Strictly protected areas in Finland, 714 000 ha of productive forest land
250000

200000

Ha

150000

100000

50000

16 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: ecological investments

Metshallitus' Ecological Investments Yr. 2001:
24 mill.
Retention Trees,
Thinnings7 %

Ecologically valuable habitats, 12 mill,

Other limitations on forestry, 6 mill.
Retention trees on final fellings, 4,5 mill.
Retention trees on thinnings, 1,6 mill.

Retention Trees,
Final Fellings 19 %

Ecologically
valuable habitats
49 %

Areas subject to
limited forestry25 %

Ecologically valuable habitats

Areas subject to limited forestry
Retention trees, final fellings
Retention trees, thinnings

17 2002

Results of Landscape Ecological Planning: Game

Capercaillie habitats in production forests, 65 000 ha
40000

35000

30000

25000

Other land
Waste land
Scrub land
Forest land

20000

15000

10000

5000

Capercaillie habitat, functioning Capercaillie habitat, subject to

development

Capercaillie habitat, to be
checked
18 2002

Game Areas - Capercaillie Leks

Threedifferentareastobetakenintoaccountinforestry
1. The center of the Lek (breeding ground)
2. The Lek
the territories of the cocks, c. 20 ha
3. The breeding region
the day territories of the cocks, the radii
of the area c. 1 km

The Structure of the Stand in the Lek

Elderly or mature forest

number of stems 500 - 900 s/ha
visibility 30-90 m (at height of 1m)
pine dominated

19 2002

Game Areas - Capercaillie Leks

The Logging Procedures

The center of the lek will be left untouched

Regeneration areas 0,5-1,5 ha in maximum
Maximum width of the regeneration area 50 m
Intermediate cuttings 400 s/ha will be left in
minimum
trees less than 6 m height 30 % of the area of the
lek in maximum
Objective is to maintain diversity in the stand;
fodder pines plus other sturdy pines and
aspen
lower vegetation (visibility max. 70 m)
a buffer zone against open ground
No forest roads or snow scooter trails through
the lek
The upper picture visualizes the right treatment
20 2002