The coniferous forests of Ruissalo
Coniferous forest is the dominant forest type of the cold climate zone, which is why the vast majority of Finnish forests, 99% of them in fact, are coniferous forests. The type of a coniferous forest depends on the nutrient content of the soil and on moisture levels. On Ruissalo, the most common types are young and herb-rich coniferous forests, which are more humid and nutrient-rich habitats than dry coniferous forests. The dominant tree-species of young and herb-rich coniferous forests is Norway spruce, but they also contain birches and Scots pine. One of Ruissalo’s unique characteristics is coniferous forests consisting primarily of Scots pines and English oaks. Coniferous forests are also characterised by dwarf shrub vegetation, with bilberry being the dominant species, and a forest floor covered in mosses.
