64% forest land under private ownership

The volume of the growing stock on forest land and poorly productive forest land is 2,473 million cubic metres and annual increment is 107 million cubic metres, according to the most recent statistics of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).

“A little more than half of forestry land is under private ownership. The state owns 35% and companies 7% of forestry land. Municipalities, parishes and associations own 6% of forestry land,” said Luke Principal Scientist Kari T Korhonen in a press release on Thursday.

According to the information, 64 per cent of the volume of the growing stock on forest land and poorly productive forest land is under private ownership. The state owns the second highest portion of the growing stock (21 per cent). Companies own nine per cent, while municipalities, parishes and associations own six per cent of the growing stock volume.

Of the growing stock, 90 per cent is located on forest land available for wood production. The mean volume of growing stock on forest land is 118 cubic metres per hectare. The mean volume is 143 cubic metres per hectare in southern Finland and 87 cubic metres per hectare in northern Finland, said a Luke press release on Thursday.

The mean growing stock increment per hectare is 4.7 cubic metres. The annual increment of growing stock on forest land is 4.4 per cent.

“The annual increment of growing stock on forest land and poorly productive forest land totals 107 million cubic metres. Of this increment, 72 per cent is located in southern Finland and 28 per cent in northern Finland,” Korhonen said, adding, “The mean volume of growing stock is the highest in Kanta-Häme, i.e. 173 cubic metres per hectare, while it is the lowest in Lapland, where it is 75 cubic metres per hectare.”

There is 26.2 million hectares of forestry land in Finland, covering 86 per cent of the total land area. Of forestry land, 77 per cent comprises forest land and nine per cent comprises poorly productive forest land. Unproductive land in terms of wood production accounts for 12 per cent of forestry land.