Esker habitats project

In 2003, UPM started an esker habitats project in its Finnish forests with the aim of increasing the level of biodiversity. Some specialised eskers species are dependent on warm places and do not tolerate shade from tree crowns. To minimize the shade caused by trees, UPM has carried out selective fellings to create lighter and therefore warmer esker habitats.

UPM selected the most representative eskers for the project on the basis of a vascular plant and the forest inventory. One of the important plants identified was Wild Thyme Thymus serpyllum, whose occurrence has declined because it does not tolerate shade from increasingly dense forest canopies. Wild Thyme is specialised to esker habitats and is also the main food source for some near threatened species, like the butterfly Merrifieldia leucodactyla.

UPM continues monitoring species occurrence and the results of work carried out on these eskers.

« back

  
  Legal Notice » © 2005 UPM. All Rights Reserved.