Finland is Europe’s most forested country. Over 75% of Finland’s land area is covered by forest. Yet, they have few forest fires as compared to neighboring Sweden, Russia, and the rest of the world. Some scientists argue that Finland has too few fires. Too few to encourage a diversity of species and habitats.
What is it about Finland? Why do they have fewer forest fires?
“The difference between the two Nordic countries is not explained by vegetation or climate,” Finland’s Forest Association said, “but is believed to be based on differences in infrastructure and forest management.”
Swedish researchers say the significant difference is forest thinning and continuous cover forestry. Other researchers point to the system of firebreaks and access roads.
Finland has managed to bring down the area annually destroyed by wildfires from more than 100,000 hectares a century ago to now less than 1 percent of that.
Data and the “family forest” culture may be the biggest contributors to better forest management.
The Finnish Forest Centre’s forest resource database is the largest in the world. Information on over 13.5 million hectares (32 million acres), covering 95% of forests in Finland.
Forest owners can:
- get an overview of their forests
- see recommended forest management and felling suggestions for their forests
- see natural sites situated in their forests
- see information about their forests on both maps and aerial photos
- receive diverse environmental information at different map levels
- report the sites in their forests on which they wish forest management to be outsourced
- search for foresters to do forest management work in their forests
- share information about their forests with the operators of their choice
60% of Finland’s forest land is owned by private forest owners, compared to 38% in the United States. The average family forest is 80 acres in size.
This “family forestry” tradition has fostered a deep connection to the land and a commitment to sustainable management practices.
