What is a forest?

A forest is a complex ecological system where trees are the dominant life-form. Forests can develop under various conditions, with various soil types, plant and animal species. 

Forests and other wooded land cover 55% of the Nordic countries. In Finland and Sweden, this figure exceeds two-thirds, making them the most forested countries in Europe. The percentage of forested land in Norway and Denmark is 38% and 15%, respectively. Forest cover in Iceland is approximately 0.5% of the total land area. 

Coniferous species dominate Nordic forests, with pine and spruce accounting for 78% of the standing stock. Pine is the dominant species in Finland and Sweden, while spruce is the most common species in Norway. Seventy-one percent of the broad-leaved species are birch, with the remaining 29% being smaller volumes of aspen, alder, maple, oak, and beech. Forests in Denmark and Iceland are dominated by broad-leaved species. 

Seventy-five percent of the Nordic countries’ forestland is privately-owned. Finland has the highest share of publicly owned forests (31%), and Norway has the smallest percentage (20%).

Forests as nature-based solutions

Nordic forest is a significant player in the combat against climate change, both as a carbon sink and as a provider of substitutes to fossil-based products. Forests are also home to thousands of species, some unique to the Nordic region, and provide a popular recreation area for people. Afforestation or forest-related NbS can be located in forests, but also urban areas or abandoned agricultural lands, for example.

Forest NbS can address multiple societal challenges:

 

Forest graphic: Before

Forest ecosystem before NbS have been implemented

Forest graphic: After

Forest ecosystem after NbS have been implemented

 

NbS that can be implemented in forests

  • Deadwood enrichment: retaining and creating deadwood as a part of closer-to-nature management and ecological restoration 

  • Prescribed burning: an intentional and controlled burning of an area for ecological restoration or silvicultural purposes (in Nordic countries). 

Are you unsure how to choose an NbS for a forest ecosystem? See our general guidance on Nature-based solutions! 

You may also be interested in the S-ITUATION project's factsheet on forests, which describes types of NbS that are typically used to solve various problems in specific land-use contexts.

These pages have been written by Ekaterina Shorohova, Jenni Nordén, Ulrika Jansson and Ilkka Vanha-Majamaa