Certain regional features in the growing stock of the Finnish forests

Abstract

As a result of variations in forest growth factors along Finland's exten­sive north‑south axis, considerable differences are found between the north and the south of the country in volume of growing stock, incre­ment per unit area, species dominance, diameter classification and timber assortment, although the relatively low volume of growing stock and annual growth rate in Northern Finland are partly offset by the rela­tively greater area of forest in the north. An east‑west axis of varia­tion is also noted, in that the forests of Ostrobothnia are in a slightly less advantageous position in respect of certain growing stock properties than those of Central and Eastern Finland. This is chiefly due to the predominantly flat terrain and the resulting high incidence of paludifica­tion, and also in part to historical factors connected with forest utiliza­tion and its consequences. This research is based on the results of the Fifth National Forest Inventory.