sawlogs, pulplogs, pulp, wood, panels, plywood, mdf, osb, chipboard, veneer, bulk, pallets, wood, timber UPM participates in the recovery of sun-exposed habitats

   Moscow. Oct 09, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. UPM has joined a co-operative project with other quarters in the forestry and environmental sector that aims to assess the state of esker forests on sun-exposed slopes in southern Finland, the company said.

The current state of sun-exposed forests is poor, and their preservation requires immediate and extensive measures, the most important of which is to maintain the brightness of esker forests by thinning the tree stand. A co-operation network consisting of experts in forestry and nature conservation in esker forests was formed during the project, entitled ‘State and Management of Sun-exposed Esker Forest Habitats’. The goal of the network will be to save the threatened special species of esker forests also in the future.

In total, about 30,000 hectares of esker forests, mainly in Natura 2000 areas, were inventoried during the project.

"UPM's own esker nature project started in 2003 and is still ongoing. In 2006–2008, the esker nature project was integrated into a very successful co-operation project. The project is an example of the new practice used in the METSO II programme and beyond in order to ensure biodiversity. The project operations can also be integrated into forestry-wood production," says Timo Lehesvirta, Director, Sustainable Forestry, UPM.

Additional information: UPM-Kymmene Forest