The expansion of Luhdanniitty was supported by digital engineering firm Nitor with a donation of EUR 10,000, which enabled the incorporation of a new forest plot into the Luhdanniitty conservation area. The donation is part of Nitor's ongoing sustainability work and promotes the company's positive impact on the environment outside of its own business.
– The floodplain meadows and moorland landscapes of the Luhdanjoki area are unique Finnish habitats. It is an honor to be involved in protecting these vibrant environments and enabling the expansion of the protected area. The work of the Natural Heritage Foundation enables a concrete impact that is already visible now and will continue far into the future, Nitori’s Director of Sustainability Ari Koli says.
The purchased area borders the Luhdanjoki River and is located between the former Luhdanniity plots of the Natural Heritage Foundation. The Luhdanjoki River arm is an almost three-kilometer-long mosaic of floodplain meadows and floodplains, which has formed in a steep-sloped erosion valley. In addition to the floodplains, the area also includes floodplain meadows characterized by reed meadows and meadowsweet.
The coastal zone of the expansion area is treeless, reedy and shaped by a winding river. Large aspens and spruces grow in the Kangas forest area. The species and age structure of the tree stand vary, and there is more than ten cubic meters of rotten wood per hectare, both in the form of ground and standing trees. The understory vegetation includes leaf moss, sedge, blue and white anemones, and sparsely, sedge.
According to the sellers, the area was an important place for them, where they spent time over the years – even one Midsummer in a caravan. The area was visited often, and small children would travel with them either in a sleigh or on a sled. The sellers are happy that the area will end up under protection through the Natural Heritage Foundation, and that the birds and other animals of Luhdanniitty will have a new, permanent refuge. With the expansion, grazing animals can also be brought to Luhdanniitty to take care of the traditional environment.
In addition to the expansion of the Luhdanniitty meadow, the river valley conservation area grew with the Ahola luhda meadow, a riverside area of approximately one hectare in size, which the foundation received as a donation. Antero Ahola from the family tree. Ahola was interested in nature and animals, enjoyed photographing birds and passed on his interest in nature to his children. The family tree is delighted that Ahola's luhta will become part of the mosaic of Luhdanjoki protected areas. About half a kilometer from Ahola's luhta is an 8,7-hectare protected area owned by the City of Lahti and the Luhdanjoki bird tower, where 178 bird species have been observed.
The Ahola luhta is bordered by a grove of trees, from which there is a small angle on the side of the Natural Heritage Foundation. The area is dominated by spruce and aspen, and the shrub layer is covered with tuamoa. The area also contains wet open and shrub luhta, from which hay was still obtained for livestock in the 1950s.
The Luhdanjoki valley is part of the Helmi cluster, which means it is an area identified as important in terms of biodiversity, with good conditions for the restoration and management of habitats. The Natural Heritage Foundation's new groves strengthen the ecological connections of the river valley and increase the vitality of nature in accordance with the seasonal rhythm of the flooded river. Piece by piece, an increasingly strong safety net is being built for the diversity of wetlands, groves and riparian forests.
MORE INFORMATION:
Vilma Kaukoranta, Natural Heritage Foundation, Conservation Manager
vilma.kaukoranta@luonnonperintosaatio.fi, tel. 050 400 7477
Juho Hakkarainen, Natural Heritage Foundation, Director of Communications
juho.hakkarainen@luonnonperintosaatio.fi, tel. 0400 977 886
The Natural Heritage Foundation is a foundation founded by fisherman Pentti Linkola in 1995 that protects nature, primarily endangered forests. The foundation uses donated funds to acquire natural areas and guarantees them permanent protection in accordance with the Nature Conservation Act.
