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In Focus
Timo Lehesvirta Leading Nature Expert, Metsä Group
Mixed forests are the forests of the future As climate change progresses, various forms of forest damage are expected to become more common. The risk of damage can be reduced by diversifying the proportions of tree species.
Maria Latokartano, photos: Metsä Group
I n 2015, an agreement was signed in Paris by 195 states which committed themselves to restrict- ing the temperature rise to clearly below 2 °C, and preferably below 1.5 °C, compared with pre-indus- trial times. After nine years, it seems unlikely that the target will be achieved. In Finland, where the temperature is predicted to rise more steeply than the global av- erage, preparations must be made for a climate up to 6–8 degrees warmer than today. Seedling stands established this year will be mature in 80 years on average. The climate will probably be very different from today then. Preparations for the changes must therefore already be made today. “Nationally, adapting to climate change is one of the most important tasks in Finland. Our future and the competitiveness of our bioeconomy depend on it,” says Timo Lehesvirta , Leading Nature Expert, Metsä Group. Climate resilience through forest management The rising temperature and the increased carbon di- oxide content in the atmosphere accelerate the growth of forests. However, at the same time, the risk of dif- ferent types of forest damage increases. Forests’ ability to adapt to climate change can be improved through appropriate forest management. Metsä Group, which also encompasses Metsä Board, adopted its regenerative forestry principles in the spring of 2023. The goal of these principles is to en-
sure that forests are trans- ferred to the next gener- ation in an increasingly vigorous and climate-re- silient condition. Increasing the di- versity of tree species in forests is one of the core principles of regen- erative forestry. It makes the species found in forests generally more diverse. It is also an important way to adapt to climate change.
Aiming for mixed forests In recent decades, forest cultivation in Finland has favoured spruce. However, forests consisting of spruce alone are exposed to risks resulting from climate change. The most significant risk is considered to be in- sect damage, especially the spruce bark beetle, which threatens both the availability of wood raw material and carbon sinks as it spreads. In practice, the diversification of tree species means increasing the share of deciduous trees, especially birch, in forests. Instead of a single tree species, the goal is a mixed forest consisting of several tree species. “The spruce bark beetle does not live in deciduous trees. A forest consisting of diverse tree species diver-
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