ABSTRACT
The 1980s witnessed the development of a strengthened need also to protect the remnants of old virgin forests. The object itself—old virgin forests—continue to lack an adequate, distinct definition. Consequently, this has led to a situation of increasing need for research in the field of succession in virgin forests. Highly representative collections of material depicting the structure of virgin forests on mineral soils have been published recently in Finland. There were a total of 520 peatland sample plots; of these, 41 percent were located in spruce mires and 59 percent in pine mires. Peatland stands amounted to about a quarter of all virgin forests. Growing stock data on current virgin forests in Finland are available only selectively, and these pertain to segments of strict nature reserves and national parks. However, the value of the measurement data from Finland’s first national forest inventory is reduced by the fact that the inventory took place at the end of a cooler-than-average climatic period.
