An extensive and tree-intensive METSO nature reserve has been established in the town of Juva in Southern Savonia, Finland. Conserved by Finsilva, Kannusvuori consists of three neighbouring areas and totals 60.5 hectares. The conservation benefits especially recreational users, as the spectacular local terrain can still be used freely for hiking, mushrooming and berry picking.
Kannusvuori was selected for the METSO forest biodiversity programme due to its highly versatile natural value.
”The area is home to decayed wood of different ages, and constitutes a so-called dead wood continuum, which is very good for biodiversity,” says Nature Conservation Specialist Markku Heikkinen from South Savo Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. Heikkinen studied the eligibility of the area for METSO conservation.
The conservation of biodiversity in Finnish forests and ecological forestry measures play a key role in the expansion and maintenance of carbon sinks, as was also pointed out in the 2021 Glasgow Climate Summit.
”Forest biodiversity bears great importance for forestry and Finsilva as a company. Over five per cent of our forests are protected areas and another five per cent are special treatment areas in which forest is cared for through means of continuous silviculture,” says Finsilva’s Managing Director Juha Hakkarainen.
Further information (in Finnish): https://www.finsilva.fi/metsatalous/finsilva-suojelee-erityista-metasaluetta-saimaalla/
Juha Hakkarainen, juha.hakkarainen@finsilva.fi, tel. +358 400 870 867
Jukka Suhonen, jukka.suhonen@metsagroup.com, tel. +358 50 356 9778
With its 130,000 hectares, Finsilva is one of the biggest forest owners and shoreline leisure plot suppliers in Finland. Most of Finsilva’s forests are located in Southern and Central Finland. The METSO forest biodiversity program is a joint initiative between the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, set out to conserve forest with special biodiversity.
Facts
• Kannusvuori, Juva
• 60.5 hectares
• Area of rare diversity
• Popular among hikers