We provide comprehensive sustainable forest management services.

A new forest is established as quickly as possible after felling to minimise the period during which the area remains treeless. Establishing a new forest typically includes soil preparation and either sowing seeds or planting seedlings. A forest can also be regenerated naturally. Only tree species native to Finland are used in establishing a new forest.

We take biodiversity into account with practices that include using natural forest species in Finland for regeneration, preserving the dead trees in the work area, and leaving buffer zones along waterways. Some of the trees in the regeneration area have been left standing as retention trees in the previous felling, and there are older trees in the new forest because of this. The retention trees will benefit many species before eventually dying and decomposing in the forest.

A small young stand needs to be managed 4–8 years after planting when the conifer seedlings reach a height of approximately one metre. Seedlings that have germinated from seed take longer to reach a height of one metre than planted seedlings.

Early cleaning is carried out in small young conifer stands. It is usually unnecessary in young birch or aspen stands. Early cleaning entails using a clearing saw to remove trees growing close to the conifer seedlings or otherwise hindering their growth.

We take biodiversity into account by removing deciduous trees that have sprouted from stumps or roots, while leaving those that have germinated from seed and are shorter than the conifer trees, especially silver birches. Part of the area is left untouched to create a protective thicket that provides refuge and a feeding area for animals.

As seedlings grow, they have less room. Pre-commercial thinning with a clearing saw is necessary to create more space for the young trees that have grown in length and width to continue their growth. In addition to maintaining growth, pre-commercial thinning is needed to safeguard the quality of the growing stock, as it helps create more growth space for better trees.

Biodiversity is accounted for by preserving deciduous trees in the stand. Most of the retention trees from the regeneration felling phase remain standing. High biodiversity stumps are beginning to decay, some may have already fallen down. Part of the area is left untouched to make sure that protective thickets continue to exist there, providing animals with refuge and feeding areas.

An initial thinning removes poor-quality and unhealthy trees and improves the growing conditions for the remaining trees. Indeed, the most important goal of an initial thinning is to improve the quality of the trees, ensuring that they grow and become sturdy more quickly. The initial thinning is the first felling that produces marketable roundwood. An initial thinning usually results in pulpwood, which is used to manufacture pulp. The initial thinning is carried out with a harvester.

Biodiversity is accounted for by preserving a mix of tree species in the forest. The characteristics of valuable nature sites are preserved in felling operations. The retention trees still clearly stand out as older than the other trees. If the forest owner permits it, Metsä Group will create high biodiversity stumps in the forest during the felling.

Fifteen to twenty-five years after the initial thinning, and even longer in northern Finland, the trees have grown, and the space around them has decreased. It is time for another thinning. Some of the trees are removed to provide space for the remaining trees to continue to grow. Healthy, vigorous, and high-quality trees are left to grow. The increased growth space accelerates the development from pulpwood to more valuable log wood.

Biodiversity is accounted for by preserving a mix of tree species in the forest. The characteristics of valuable nature sites are preserved in felling operations. Retention trees continue to stand out as older than the other trees, but some, especially birches, may already be dead or have fallen over. If the forest owner permits it, Metsä Group will create high biodiversity stumps in the forest during the felling.

Regeneration felling removes the old generation of trees. The goal can be to regenerate the forest by cultivation or natural regeneration. Regeneration felling is a forest owner’s harvest; it is the most financially profitable of all the felling methods, as it produces the largest amount of valuable log wood.

Biodiversity is accounted for in various ways. During regeneration felling, some trees are left in the forest as retention trees to ensure there are old trees in the forest. Broadleaved trees, especially sturdy aspen, are important to retain for biodiversity. The characteristics of valuable nature sites are preserved in felling operations. If the forest owner permits it, Metsä Group will create high biodiversity stumps in the forest during the felling. If the area is bordered by water, a wooded buffer zone is left on the shore to retain nutrients from runoff.

Wooded buffer zones are left to border natural waters. The purpose of buffer zones is to retain nutrients from runoff so that they do not end up in the waters. Individual trees may be removed from the buffer zones, but they must remain wooded. The soil is not prepared in these buffer zones, and forest machinery is not used in them.

A valuable habitat differs from the forest surrounding it. For example, a bogland pond, floodplain, or cliff, which all have their own microclimate and vegetation, are valuable habitats. Their characteristics are preserved during forestry work. Many valuable habitats are already protected by law or forest certification criteria.

In the image, you will find more examples of the methods used to ensure the biodiversity of forest nature during forestry work.