Karelian Forests: Description, Nature, Trees and Interesting Facts

Karelia is traditionally called the forest and lake edge. The modern terrain was formed under the influence of a glacier, the thawing of which began thirteen thousand years ago. The glacial cover gradually decreased, and the meltwater filled the depressions in the rocks. Thus, there were formed sets of lakes and rivers in Karelia.

Virgin forest

Karelian forests are a real treasure of the region. For a number of reasons, forestry activities miraculously bypassed them. This applies to arrays located along the Finnish border. Thanks to this, islands of virgin nature have been preserved. Karelian forests can boast of pine trees, whose age reaches five hundred years.

In Karelia, about three hundred thousand hectares of forests are in the status of national parks and reserves. Virgin trees form the basis of the Pasvik, Kostomukshsky, Paanayarvsky National Park reserves.

Green wealth: interesting facts

The development of forests in Karelia began in the period of the emergence of industry. In the eighteenth century, felling of trees was selective. Only around the metallurgical plants there was a continuous cutting down. In the nineteenth century, the volume of timber harvesting was growing rapidly. The wealth of the Karelian forest gradually melted. And only in the nineties of the last century, cutting down significantly decreased. At the present time, there is again a gradual increase in the rate of logging, since it is a valuable export product, which is always in demand.

Karelian Forests: which trees prevail

The local places are incredibly beautiful and rich in vegetation.

The basis of the Karelian forests is common fir and pine. In the northern regions, you can find Finnish spruce, and in the east - Siberian. But the vegetation is represented not only by conifers. What is unique about the Karelian forests? What trees still grow in these places? Hardwood species are also common here. Karelian forests are famous for their birch trees, its two species - fluffy and warty. Alkha sticky and aspen also grow from hardwoods.

Types of forests

In South Karelia, there are large areas of broad-leaved species - elm, linden, black alder and maple. Pine Karelian forests grow, as a rule, on impoverished soils and form several types, which differ in the nature of the soil and in the type of vegetation of the lower tier.

In the lowlands, plains and marshes, sphagnum pine forests with a stunted and thin-browed forest practically everywhere grow. Here, the soil is characterized by thick moss coverings, and there is also a large number of shrubs - wild rosemary, blueberry and marsh myrtle.

On more fertile soils pines-green-mosses, which are represented by tall trees, settled. In this dense forest, the undergrowth is quite rare and consists of juniper and mountain ash. The shrub layer consists of cranberries and blueberries, but the soil is covered by mosses. As for herbaceous plants, there are very few of them.

On the depleted soils of the slopes and peaks of the cliffs, lichen pine forests grow. The trees in these places are quite rare, and the underbrush is practically absent. The soil cover is represented by lichens, yagel, green mosses, bearberry, cranberries.

For richer soils, fir groves are characteristic. The most common are green-mosses, consisting almost entirely of spruce trees, sometimes aspen and birch. On the outskirts of bogs on peaty-podzolic soils are sphagnum spruce forests and dolmoshnikov. But for the valleys of streams, bog-fir forests with mosses and feeble alder and taolga are characteristic.

Mixed forests

At the site of logging and fires, once indigenous forests are replaced by secondary mixed forest areas on which aspen, birch, alder grow, and there is also a rich undergrowth and grassy layer. But among hardwoods, coniferous trees are quite common. As a rule, it is spruce. It is in mixed forests in the south of Karelia that rare elm, linden, maple are found here.

Marshes

Approximately thirty percent of the entire territory of the republic is occupied by swamps and wetlands, which form a characteristic landscape. They alternate with forest tracts. Swamps are divided into the following types:

1. Lowland, vegetation of which is represented by bushes, reeds and sedge.
2. Horse, which feed on atmospheric precipitation. Here grow blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries, and wild rosemary.
3. Transitional marshes are an interesting combination of the first two types.

All the marshes are very diverse. In fact, these are reservoirs, tightened by the intricacies of mosses. Here there are also marshy pine plots with small birches, between which glisten dark puddles with duckweed.

Beauty of Karelia

Karelia is an extraordinary beauty area. Here marshes, overgrown with mosses, alternate with virgin forests, the mountains are replaced by plains and hills with amazing landscapes, the calm lake surface turns into bubbling streams of rivers and a rocky seashore.

Almost 85% of the territory is Karelian forests. Coniferous breeds predominate, but there are also small-leaved species. The leader is very hardy Karelian pine. It occupies 2/3 of all forest areas. Growing in such harsh conditions, it, in the opinion of the local population, has unique healing properties, fueling others with energy, relieves fatigue and irritability.

Local forests are famous for Karelian birch. In fact, this is a very small and unimpressive tree. However, it has gained worldwide fame, thanks to its very solid and solid wood, which resembles marble because of the bizarre pattern.

Karelian forests are also rich in medicinal and food herbaceous and shrubby plants. Here there are blueberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cloudberries, cranberries and cranberries. It would be unfair not to recall the mushrooms, which in Karelia have a great variety. The earliest of them appear in June, and already in September there comes a period of gathering mushrooms for pickling - there are freckles, blue eyes, mushrooms.

Types of trees

In the Karelian expanses pine trees grow, whose age is not less than 300-350 years. However, there are also older specimens. Their height reaches 20-25 or even 35 meters. Pine needles produce phytoncides that are capable of killing microbes. In addition, it is a very valuable breed, its wood is good for shipbuilding and just for construction work. And from the juice of the tree produce rosin and turpentine.

In the Marcial Waters , a completely unique pine-long-liver grows, whose age is about four hundred years. It is listed in the list of rare trees. There is even a legend that the pine was planted by the approximate people of Peter I, but if you take into account her age, then, most likely, she grew up long before that period.

In addition, Siberian and common spruce grow in Karelia. In the local conditions, it lives two hundred or three hundred years, and some specimens live to the half-century, reaching 35 meters in height. The diameter of such a tree is about a meter. The wood of the fir trees is very light, almost white, it is very soft and light. It is used to make the best paper. Spruce is also called a musical plant. This name was not received by chance. Smooth and almost ideal trunks are used for the production of musical instruments.

In the Karelian forests found a serpentine fir, which is a monument of nature. It is of great interest for growing in the park areas.

Larchs, common in Karelia, are referred to coniferous trees, but they annually shed needles. This tree is considered a long-lived man, since he lives up to 400-500 years (height reaches 40 meters). Larch grows very quickly, and is valued not only because of its solid wood, but also as a park culture.

In the dry spruce and pine forests, there is a lot of juniper, which is a coniferous evergreen shrub. It is interesting not only as an ornamental plant, but also as a healing breed, since its berries contain substances used in folk medicine.

Birch trees are widespread in Karelia. Here this tree is sometimes called a pioneer, since it is the first to occupy any free space. Birch lives for a relatively short time - from 80 to 100 years. In the forests, its height reaches twenty-five meters.