Biofore Magazine 2022

By Tea Manninen, Miika Manninen Photo Miika Manninen

THROUGH THE L ENS

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Sara Turunen became interested in nature as a child and recalls saving insects from drowning in rain puddles. In her current work, she has become familiar with pollinators like bees and flies, without which the wealth of plant species in the forest would dwindle.

A s we enter Harviala forest, 100 km north of the Finnish capi tal of Helsinki, the earthy scent of the previous day’s rain fills the air. A layer of clouds forms a canopy over the trees, filter ing gentle streams of sunlight. It’s quiet as Sara Turunen , a member of the nature team at the forest management company Tapio and an expert with the Forest Pollen (Pölymetsä) project, guides us forward. At first glance we are alone, but upon closer inspection the forest ex udes activity in the form of thousands and thousands of tiny but vital insects crawling everywhere. There are also butterflies and spiders, and the first bumblebees fly by, which are the most important pollinators in the forest. The soil is also teeming with life, withmore than 900 species of beetles found inHarviala. Insects play an essential role in forest ecosystems, food chains and biodiversity. Looking after their well-being is working for the forests. Turunen says that if pollinators, for example, were to disappear, there would be no flowering plants at all, and there would be far fewer berries, if any. In turn, decaying plants and trees help the soil and the forest to do better. “For all insects, decayingwood is not only a nesting place but also a food source for certain larvae,” she adds. The pollinators are at the heart of the Forest Pollen project. They

The six-spotted orb weaver (Araniella displicata) preys on a mosquito. Insects play a role in the forest as dispersers and pollinators, but they also feed birds and other insects. The loss of insect species also affects the living conditions of birds in forests.