Building a Biosphere Reserve in North Karelia, Finland

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Building a Biosphere Reservein North Karelia,
Finland

• Dr. Timo J. Hokkanen
• Centre of Economic Development, Transport and the
  Environment for North Karelia/
• North Karelia Biosphere Reserve

Scotland 20.5.2010
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Contents

• North Karelia and North Karelia BR
• Research and development projects
• Steering committee and BR strategy
• Future projects extensive approach
• Role of the BR

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Questions asked

• How you engage with public agencies?
• How you engage with communities?
• How you manage the landscapes?
• How regional strategy has been developed?
• Where the biosphere reserve fits in?
• The long term view?

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North Karelia and NK BR

• Living in the North

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Karelia, Eastern Finland
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Ice ages
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North Karelia -province
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Total area 2 158 400 ha Forests 1 045 000
ha
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Total area 2 158 400 ha Forested Mires 406 000
ha
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Forest
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Forest, mires and lakes
Total area 2 158 400 ha Natural Mires 406 000 ha
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Forest
For. Mire
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Total area 2 158 400 ha Inland waters 382 000 ha
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Forest
Nat. mire
For. Mire
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Total area 2 158 400 ha Other 198 400 ha
Forest
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Forested mire
Inland waters
Nat. mire
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RUSSIA
North Karelia
Joensuu
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North Karelia

• Forestry, metal industry, hi-tech
• Forest research
• University of Eastern Finland (13 000)
• European Forest Institute
• Finnish Forest Research Institute
• Bioenergy 65 of energy consumption

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North Karelia BR
Lieksa
Ilomantsi
Joensuu
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NK biosphere reserve

• Established 1992, extended 2009
• Total area 790 745 ha
• Population 21 000
• Core areas 24 953 ha
• Buffer zone 22 779 ha
• Main activities
• forestry, tourism, services

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KALEVALA the national epic of Finland
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Slash and burn agriculture
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Taiga forest
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Patvinsuo National Park
Photo www.vastavalo.fi
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Forest, mires and lakes
Koli National Park
Photo Markku Tano
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Sonkaja Village
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Biosphere Reserves
Connecting people
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Numerous background projects

• Forestry, planning and protection
• Forest grazing of cattle
• New rural livelihoods
• Nature and culture tourism
• Restoration and building of cultural milieus
• Restoration of springs
• Large carnivores
• Ticks
• Giant hogweed

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1. Forest studies

• Extensive entities
• High-quality research
• Forests important economy, biodiversity,
  recreation
• Joensuu is a forestry centre in boreal zone
• Co-operation with Russia

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UAV at Mekrijärvi Research Station

• Hand launch
• Flies on its own
• Images in 20 minutes

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Continuity of old growth forests in the border
area between Finland and Russia
(Lopatin, Kolström, Hokkanen 2009, manuscript)
webserver mekri.joensuu.fi/gap_karelia
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Predicted number of OGF indicator species
(aphyllophoraceous fungi, mosses)
Lopatin et al. 2006
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Natural connectivity at the border

• In Russia large untouched ecosystems should be
  protected
• In Finland need to create corridors connecting
  Russian and Finnish forests

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Joint plan?

• Development?
• Protection?
• Costs?
• Time?

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2. Restoring cultural mileus and traditional
landscapes

• Local targets
• Studies in local history
• Using traditional methods
• Employing local people
• Co-operation with a school and local activists
• Developing tourism

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1939
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1923
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Aaron Piha 1997
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Aaron piha 2003
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Sonkaja chapel
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3. Ticks and Giant hogweed

• Border area
• Research and environmental awareness
• Health
• Value of land
• Extensive co-operation

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Ixodes persulcatus
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Ixodes-species tickborne encephalitis

• Distribution
• Climate change
• Environmental change

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Giant hogweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum
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A bit escaped
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Burns
Photos Michigan Dept Agriculture
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North Karelia Biosphere reserve and its activities
North Karelia Biosphere Reserve

• North Karelia
• Kainuu
• Kostamus District (Russia)
• Mujejärven District (Russia)
• Suojärven District (Russia)
• Karelia Ladogendis (Russia)

NKBR
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Creating BR strategy

• Background projects
• Leading creating significancies
• BR needs to create and point out significancies
  which promote sustainable development

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Building a school
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Building a school

• What is a school needed for?
• Background gt planning gt building gt teaching gt
  producing learning and wisdom

Building a Biosphere Reserve

• What is a BR needed for?
• Background gt planning gt building gt working gt
  producing

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Involvement in BR projects
Project Local Regional National Inter-national
Forestry Administration Researchers, Administration Researchers, Administration Researchers, Administration
Cultural milieus Workers, Teachers Administration Researchers, Administration
Ticks Local people, Researchers, Administration Researchers, Administration Researchers, Businesses Researchers
Giant hogweed Local people, Administration, Businesses Researchers, Administration Researchers, Administration Researchers
Level
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Involvement spheres

• International
• UNESCO
• International actors (e.g., EU), businesses
• National
• National MaB committee
• National structures, businesses, administration
• Regional
• BR committee administration
• institutions businesses
• Local
• All local structures and involved people

Number of involved people
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Ingredients of a biosphere reserve From
knowledge to change

• Information/knowledge
• Research
• Information context gt Awareness
• Info dissemination
• Awareness resources commitment gt activity
• Work
• Activity continuity gt change
• Monitoring

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Role of BR in projects
Project Local Regional National Inter-national
Forestry Communicator Initiator, Actor Communicator, Connector Initiator, Communicator Connector
Cultural milieus Initiator, Facilitator, Connector, Communicator Actor Initiator, communicator, connector
Ticks Initiator, Facilitator, Communicator, Actor Initiator, communicator, connector Researchers, Connector, Communicator, Actor
Giant hogweed Initiator, Facilitator, Communicator, Actor Initiator, onnector, Communicator, Actor Connector, Communicator Connector, Communicator, Actor
Level
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BR Extension 2008
Lieksa

• Delineation 1992
• 350 000 ha
• 14 500 ha core areas
• 1900 inhabitants

• Delineation 2008
• 791 000 ha
• 25 000 ha core areas
• 22 000 ha buffer zones
• 21 000 inhabitants

Ilomantsi
Tuupovaara

• Part of Joensuu City included

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Biosphere reserve

• Economically viable unit (population gt 20 000)
• The main main actors of the province included
• Visibility and profile in topical sustainable
  development issues (e.g., bioenergy, mitigation
  of and adaptation into climate change)
• Joensuu City as a border area town
• National and international activities

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North Karelia BR Steering Committee (2008-2011)

• Prof. Paavo Pelkonen (chair) Univ.Eeastern
  Finland, forestry
• Prof. Taneli Kolström UEF, Mekrijärvi Res.
  Station
• Mayor Markku Lappalainen Ilomantsi municipality
• City clerc Jari Horttanainen Joensuu city
• City clerc Matti Taponen Lieksa city
• Park Superintendent Kyösti Tuhkalainen Metsähallit
  us
• CEO Tiina Tolvanen NK Chamber of Commerce
• Prof. Ari Lehtinen UEF, geography
• Planning director Risto Poutiainen NK Regional
  Council
• Leading researcher Raimo Heikkilä Finnish Env.
  Instutute, Joensuu
• Prof. Erkki Sutinen UEF, computer science
• CEO Markku Litja Karelia-Expert OY (tourism)
• Co-ordinator Timo J. Hokkanen (secretary)
• Centre of Economic Development, Transport and
  the Environment for North Karelia

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Regional development priorities taken into account

• Funding
• Minimal funds earmarked for environment compared
  with those for development
• Influence - also in environmental issues
• Better sitting at the tables where the decisions
  are being done

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North Karelia BR mission statement

• North Karelia biosphere reserve activities aim at
  creating regional sustainable development
  solutions for good economy and environment

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BR main task facilitation
Sustainable development
Conservation
Support, training etc
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Strategy

• BR main windows
• Energy
• Tourism
• Environmental awareness
• Extensive co-operation
• Benefits

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Bioenergy window

• Energy important for all human activities in the
  area
• Bioenergy has great influence on local life but
  also direct global influences
• Bioenergy is easily understandable by everyone
• Bioenergy is economically important and
  politically hot
• Local and regional background strong
• Environmental aspects not at all easy

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Tourism window

• Nature and culture tourism is considered to grow
  in importance and volume
• Nature and culture tourism makes use of all
  environments and important culture objects
• Tourism and energy use are tightly coupled
• Easy to find local and regional support

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Landscapes

• Significance of landscapes
• Economy
• Ecology
• Communities
• Culture

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Traditional landscapes
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Awareness key to change

• Information/knowledge
• Research
• Information context gt Awareness
• Info dissemination
• Awareness resources commitment gt activity
• Work
• Activity continuity gt change
• Monitoring

Leadership
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Projects and future

• Clear priorities
• Ambitious goals
• Visibility
• Results required
• Think globally, act locally!

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Projects and processes

• ROK-FOR project sustainable foresty bioenergy,
  sustainable construction biobased products
• Regional Partnership Programme
• Koli Guiding and Culture Centre
• Initiation of and participation in processes
• Green Belt of Fennoscandia
• Regional Climate Change activities

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RoK-FOR 2010 - 2013 Sustainable forestry
providing bioenenergy, sustainable construction
and biobased products

• EU FP7 - 1.8 M
• Large consortium regions in focus

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ROK-FOR consortium
Centre for Development, Transport and the
Environment for North Karelia
Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet Freiburg
EFI Atlantic

Forest Research Centre Jastrebarsko
Centre Tecnologic Forestal de Catalunya
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RoK-FOR Objectives

• Target areas sustainable forestry gt bioenergy,
  biobased products and sustainable construction
• Actions We will identify and start strong
  trans-national and inter-regional co-operation
  between research-driven, forestry-based clusters
• Results
• Joint action plan
• New joint actions during the second half of the
  project
• Increased innovativeness and competitiveness with
  help of the metacluster

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GREEN BELT OF FENNOSCANDIA

• geology
• bedrock, ice age
• biodiversity values
• indigenous species
• ecological corridor
• cultural heritage
• transboundary co-operation

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Nature reserves
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Research and development

• Research units
• Climate change
• Environmental
• change
• Sustainable development practices

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Koli Guiding and Culture Centre International
sustainable development model for Biosphere
Reserves?
40 M investment
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Koli Sustainable Development Platform
MaB programme
National Park
Green Belt of Fennoscandia
K o l i Culturum
Koli Village
National International Contacts
Sustainable Development In Centre
North Karelia province
Technology Programme
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BR Partnership organisations and enterprises

• Dynamic approach
• Sustainable development
• Commitment for future
• Co-operation between partners
• Background Sustainable Development Network for
  North Karelia

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Questions asked

• How you engage with public agencies?
• How you engage with communities?
• How you manage the landscape and the type of
  landscapes you have?
• How regional strategy has been developed?
• Where the biosphere reserve fits in?
• The long term view?

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Rosa acicularis Carelian rose