Karelia is traditionally called the forest and lake region. The modern terrain was formed under the influence of a glacier, the melting of which began thirteen thousand years ago. Glacial cover gradually decreased, and meltwater filled the hollows in the rocks. Thus formed many lakes and rivers in Karelia.
Virgin forest
Karelian forests are the real wealth 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 pristine nature have been preserved. Karelian forests boast 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, Kostomuksha, and Paanajärvi National Park reserves.
Green Wealth: Interesting Facts
Development of the forests of Karelia began at the time of the emergence of industry. In the eighteenth century, tree felling was selective. Only around the metallurgical plants was clear cutting. In the nineteenth century, the volume of timber procurements grew rapidly. The wealth of the Karelian forest was gradually melting. And only in the nineties of the last century, felling was significantly reduced. At the present time, a gradual increase in the rate of timber harvesting is again observed, since it is a valuable export product that is always in demand.
Karelian forests: which trees prevail
The local area is incredibly beautiful and rich in vegetation.
The basis of Karelian forests is ordinary spruce and pine. Finnish spruce can be found in the northern regions, and Siberian in the east. But the vegetation is represented not only by conifers. What makes Karelian forests unique? What trees still grow in these places? Hardwood is also common here. Karelian forests are famous for birch trees, its two species - fluffy and warty. Adhesive alder and aspen also grow from hardwood.
Types of Forests
In South Karelia there are large areas of broad-leaved species - elm, linden, black alder and maple. Karelian pine forests grow, as a rule, on depleted soils and comprise several types that differ in the nature of the soil and in the type of vegetation of the lower tier.
On lowlands, plains, and marshes sphagnum pine forests with low and thin-trunk forests grow almost everywhere. Here, the soil is characterized by powerful moss coverings, and there are also a large number of shrubs - Ledum, blueberry, and swamp myrtle.
On more fertile soils settled green pine forests, which are represented by tall trees. In such a dense forest, the undergrowth is very rare and consists of juniper and mountain ash. Lingonberry and blueberry make up the shrub layer, but the soil is covered with mosses. As for herbaceous plants, there are very few of them.
Lichen pine trees grow on the depleted soils of slopes and peaks of rocks. Trees in these places are quite rare, and undergrowth is practically absent. The soil cover is represented by lichens, reindeer moss, green mosses, bearberry, lingonberry.
Spruce forests are characteristic of richer soils. The most common are greenworts, consisting almost exclusively of spruce trees, sometimes aspen and birch can occur. On the outskirts of the marshes on peat-podzolic soils are sphagnum spruce forests and dolomons. But for the valleys of the brooks marsh grass spruce forests with mosses and frail alder and meadowsweet are characteristic.
Mixed forests
In the place of felling and conflagration, once native 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, conifers are quite common. This is usually a spruce. It is in the mixed forests in the south of Karelia that there are rare elm, linden, maple.
Swamps
About thirty percent of the entire territory of the republic is occupied by swamps and wetlands, which form a characteristic landscape. They alternate with forests. Swamps are divided into the following types:
- Lowland, whose vegetation is represented by shrubs, reeds and sedges.
- Horsebacks that feed on precipitation. Blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries, and rosemary grow here.
- Transitional swamps are an interesting combination of the first two types.
All swamps are very diverse in appearance. In fact, these are ponds drawn by the intricacies of mosses. There are also swampy pine areas with small birches, between which dark puddles with duckweed glisten.
Beauty of Karelia
Karelia is an unusually beautiful region. Here, marshes covered with mosses alternate with virgin forests, mountains are replaced by plains and hills with amazing landscapes, calm lake surface turns into raging river flows and rocky sea coast.
Almost 85% of the territory is Karelian forests. Conifers predominate, but there are small-leaved ones. The leader is a very hardy Karelian pine. It occupies 2/3 of all forests. Growing in such harsh conditions, it, according to the local population, has unique healing properties, nourishing others with energy, relieves fatigue and irritability.
Local forests are famous for the Karelian birch. In fact, this is a very small and nondescript tree. However, it has gained worldwide fame thanks to its very strong and solid wood, which resembles marble due to its bizarre pattern.
Karelian forests are also rich in medicinal and food grass and shrub plants. There are blueberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cloudberries, cranberries and lingonberries. It would be unfair not to recall the mushrooms, which are a great many in Karelia. The earliest of them appear in June, and already in September there comes a period of picking mushrooms for pickling - there are throats, bruises, bruises.
Varieties of trees
Pine trees grow in Karelian open spaces, at least 300-350 years old. However, there are older instances. Their height reaches 20-25 or even 35 meters. Pine needles produce volatile, which are able to kill microbes. In addition, it is a very valuable breed, its wood is good for shipbuilding and just for construction work. And rosin and turpentine are extracted from the juice of the tree.
A completely unique long-lived pine tree grows in Martial Waters, whose age is about four hundred years. It is listed on the rarest trees. There is even a legend that the pine trees were planted by the close associates of Peter I, however, if we take into account its age, then, most likely, it grew long before that period.
In addition, Siberian and ordinary spruce grows in Karelia. In these conditions, she lives two hundred and three hundred years, and some specimens survive to half a century, reaching at the same time 35 meters in height. The diameter of such a tree is about a meter. Spruce wood 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. It was not by chance that she got such a name. Its smooth and almost perfect trunks are used for the production of musical instruments.
In Karelian forests, a serpentine spruce was found, which is a natural monument. It is of great interest for growing in park areas.
Larches, common in Karelia, are classified as conifers, but they drop needles every year. This tree is considered a long-liver, since it lives up to 400-500 years (height reaches 40 meters). Larch grows very quickly, and is valued not only because of its hard wood, but also as a park culture.
In 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 medicinal breed, since its berries contain substances used in folk medicine.
In Karelia birch trees are quite widespread. Here this tree is sometimes also called a pioneer, because it is the first to occupy any free space. Birch lives relatively short time - from 80 to 100 years. In the forests, its height reaches twenty-five meters.