North Karelia
North Karelia Biosphere Reserve encompasses a rich natural landscape. It is home to over 2,000 lakes, as well as extensive forests that cover about 70 per cent of the region.
Ecological Characteristics
Magnificent landscapes include Koli National Park, a national treasure set on some of the oldest bedrock in the world. Forests cover roughly 70 per cent of North Karelia, and there are approximately 2,200 lakes. Lake Pielinen, one of the lakes within the biosphere reserve, is the fourth largest in Finland.
Socio-Economics Characteristics
The biosphere reserve officially comprises the city of Lieksa, the municipality of Ilomantsi, and the Tuupovaara district of the city of Joensuu. Alongside its nature, the biosphere reserve includes a distinctive Karelian culture specific to the region. Activities inspired by the biosphere reserve take place across the wider North Karelia region. Major activities in the region, both commercial and private, rely on, or involve, nature and natural resources. The biosphere reserve’s sustainable development model combines a regional network of sustainability projects, interdisciplinary research and extensive locally oriented co-operation.
Archipelago Sea Area
Situated in the Province of Turku and Pori in south-western Finland, this biosphere reserve comprises terrestrial and marine habitats, including coniferous forests, wood meadows, heaths, rocky meadows, rocky or sandy islets, arable land, seashores and open sea. It represents a coastal environment of small islands in the Baltic Sea. Island societies are small in scale, and people who have lived there for generations maintain close contact with the sea and nature. Traditional livelihoods such as fishing and agriculture are becoming less profitable, and the population has declined markedly since the beginning of the last century.
Ecological Characteristics
Special habitats include old-growth forest, cultural landscapes, moors, herb-rich forests and marine seagrass meadows, which have a patchy distribution. The mosaic archipelago consists of 6,500 islands larger than 0.5 ha and is unique worldwide. Post-glacial land uplift is a key factor shaping the archipelago’s topography and scenery; the current rate is four to five millimetres per year. The bedrock in the Archipelago Sea area is a remnant of the ancient Svecofennides mountain chain and forms a peneplain, consisting mainly of granite, gneiss and schist, with small, local limestone occurrences.
Socio-Economics Characteristics
The Archipelago Sea National Park, which forms the core area of the biosphere reserve, differs from other Finnish national parks in that it includes traditional landscapes with grazing and hay-cutting, as well as fishing and hunting. It was established to protect the natural environment and culture of the Archipelago Sea, to safeguard traditional ways of using natural resources, to protect a living community, and to promote environmental research and interest in nature. With the establishment of the biosphere reserve, a buffer zone and transition area now surround the national park, supporting the sustainable development of the Archipelago Sea area.