Current issue: 58(4)

Under compilation: 58(5)

Scopus CiteScore 2023: 3.5
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Articles by Juho Pitkänen

Category : Research article

article id 24045, category Research article

Kari T. Korhonen, Minna Räty, Helena Haakana, Juha Heikkinen, Juha-Pekka Hotanen, Mikko Kuronen, Juho Pitkänen. (2024). Forests of Finland 2019–2023 and their development 1921–2023. Silva Fennica vol. 58 no. 5 article id 24045. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.24045

Keywords: forest management; National Forest Inventory; growing stock; forest resources; forest damage; increment; monitoring indicators of biodiversity

Highlights: The latest Finnish National Forest Inventory is presented; Volume of growing stock has almost doubled since the 1920s and has continued to increase since the previous inventory; Volume increment is more than double the increment 100 years ago but has declined recently; Mortality is increasing at alarming rate; Amount of dead wood has now increased also in North Finland.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In 2019–2023 the 13th Finnish National Forest Inventory (NFI) was implemented by measuring a total of 62 266 sample plots across the country. The methodology of the sampling and measurements was similar as in the previous inventory, but the proportion and number of remeasured permanent plots was increased to improve the monitoring of annual increment and other changes in the forests. Only 6.2 M ha (14%) of Finland’s total land area (30.4 M ha) is other land than forestry land. Productive and poorly productive forests cover 22.9 M ha (75%) of the total land area. The forest area has remained stable in recent decades but the forest area available for wood supply (FAWS) has decreased due to increased forest protection – 23% of the forestry land and 10% of the productive forest are not available for wood supply. Compared to the previous inventory, forest resources have continued to increase but the average annual increment has declined from 107.8 M m³ to 103.0 M m³. The quality of forests from the timber production point of view has remained relatively good or improved slightly. The area of observed forest damage on FAWS is 8.4 M ha (46% of FAWS area), half of these minor damages with no impact on stand quality. Although the area of forest damage has not increased, the amount of mortality has continued to increase, and is now 8.8 M m³ year^–1. The amount of dead wood has continued to increase in South Finland, while in North Finland the declining trend has turned into a slight increase. Since the 1920s, the area of forestry land has remained stable, but the area of productive forest has increased due to the drainage of poorly productive or treeless peatlands. The total volume of growing stock has increased by 84% and annual increment has more than doubled.

Korhonen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6198-853X E-mail: kari.t.korhonen@luke.fi
Räty, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9898-8712 E-mail: minna.raty@luke.fi
Haakana, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: helena.haakana@luke.fi
Heikkinen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-774X E-mail: juha.heikkinen@luke.fi
Hotanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: juha-pekka.hotanen@luke.fi
Kuronen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8089-7895 E-mail: mikko.kuronen@luke.fi
Pitkänen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O.Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7583-6297 E-mail: juho.pitkanen@luke.fi

article id 10662, category Research article

Kari T. Korhonen, Arto Ahola, Juha Heikkinen, Helena M. Henttonen, Juha-Pekka Hotanen, Antti Ihalainen, Markus Melin, Juho Pitkänen, Minna Räty, Maria Sirviö, Mikael Strandström. (2021). Forests of Finland 2014–2018 and their development 1921–2018. Silva Fennica vol. 55 no. 5 article id 10662. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.10662

Keywords: biodiversity; National Forest Inventory; growing stock; forest resources; forest damage

Highlights: Current volume of growing stock, 2500 M m³, is 1.7 times the volume in the 1920s; Annual volume increment is 107.8 M m³, which is double the increment estimated in the 1930s; Serious damage is observed on 2% of the forests available for wood supply; The amount of dead wood is on average 5.8 m³ per ha on productive forest.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

We describe the methodology applied in the 12th national forest inventory of Finland (NFI12) and describe the state of Finland’s forests as well as the development of some key parameters since 1920s. According to the NFI12, the area of forestry land (consisting of productive and poorly productive forest, unproductive land, and other forestry land) is 26.2 M ha. The area of forestry land has decreased from 1920s to 1960s due to expansion of agriculture and built-up land. 20% of the forestry land is not available for wood supply and 13% is only partly available for wood supply. The area of peatlands is 8.8 M ha, which is one third of the forestry land. 53% of the current area of peatlands is drained. The volume of growing stock, 2500 M m³, is 1.7 times the volume estimated in NFI1 in the 1920s for the current territory of Finland. The estimated annual volume increment is 107.8 M m³. The increment estimate has doubled since the estimate of NFI2 implemented in late 1930s. The annual mortality is estimated to 7 M m³, which is 0.5 M m³ more than according to the previous inventory. Serious or complete damage was observed on 2% of the productive forest available for wood supply. The amount of dead wood is on average 5.8 m³ ha^–1 in productive forests. Since the NFI9 (1996–2003) the amount of dead wood has increased in South Finland and decreased in North Finland both in protected forests and forests available for wood supply (FAWS). The area of natural or almost natural forests on productive forest is 380 000 ha, out of this, 42 000 ha are in FAWS and 340 000 ha in protected forests.

Korhonen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: kari.t.korhonen@luke.fi
Ahola, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: arto.ahola@luke.fi
Heikkinen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: juha.heikkinen@luke.fi
Henttonen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: helena.henttonen@luke.fi
Hotanen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: juha-pekka.hotanen@luke.fi
Ihalainen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: anttivj.ihalainen@elisanet.fi
Melin, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: markus.melin@luke.fi
Pitkänen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 68, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: juho.pitkanen@luke.fi
Räty, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: minna.raty@luke.fi
Sirviö, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: maria.sirvio@uudenmaanliitto.fi
Strandström, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00790, Helsinki, Finland E-mail: mikael.strandstrom@luke.fi

article id 983, category Research article

Sakari Tuominen, Juho Pitkänen, Andras Balazs, Kari T. Korhonen, Pekka Hyvönen, Eero Muinonen. (2014). NFI plots as complementary reference data in forest inventory based on airborne laser scanning and aerial photography in Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 48 no. 2 article id 983. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.983

Keywords: airborne laser scanning; National Forest Inventory; aerial imagery; plot sampling

Highlights: Using NFI plots in forest management inventories could provide a way for rationalising forest inventory data acquisition; NFI plots were used as additional reference data in laser scanning and aerial image based forest inventory; NFI plots improved the estimates of some forest variables; There are differences between the two inventory types that cause difficulties in combining the data.

Abstract | Full text in HTML | Full text in PDF | Author Info

In Finland, there are currently two, parallel sample-plot-based forest inventory systems, which differ in their methodologies, sampling designs, and objectives. One is the National Forest Inventory (NFI), aimed at unbiased inventory results at national and regional level. The other is the Forest Centre’s management-oriented forest inventory based on interpretation of airborne laser scanning and aerial images, with the aim of locally accurate stand-level forest estimates. The National Forest Inventory utilises relascope sample plots with systematic cluster sampling. This inventory method is optimised for accuracy of regional volume estimates. In contrast, the management-oriented forest inventory utilises circular sample plots with an allocation system covering certain pre-defined forest classes in the inventory area. This method is optimised to produce reference data for interpretation of the remote-sensing materials in use. In this study, we tested the feasibility of the National Forest Inventory sample plots in provision of additional reference data for the management-oriented inventory. Various combinations of NFI plots and management inventory plots were tested in the interpretation of the laser and aerial-image data. Adding NFI plots in the reference data generally improved the accuracy of the volume estimates by tree species but not the estimates of total volume or stand mean height and diameter. The difference between the plot types in the NFI and management inventories causes difficulties in combination of the two datasets.

Tuominen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: sakari.tuominen@metla.fi
Pitkänen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: juho.pitkanen@metla.fi
Balazs, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 18, FI-01301 Vantaa, Finland E-mail: andras.balazs@metla.fi
Korhonen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: kari.t.korhonen@metla.fi
Hyvönen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: pekka.hyvonen@metla.fi
Muinonen, Finnish Forest Research Institute, P.O. Box 68, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland E-mail: eero.muinonen@metla.fi

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