Dry pine forest are dominant in areas where the soil is dry and low in nutrients. A major part of nutrients in the forest floor are washed away with rain and melt water, also a soil with a pH too low (acidic) will stop the nutrients from being released and made available to the plants. More than half of the forests in northern Finland are dry pine forests.
Dry pine forests do not have durable surface. The plants often grow on fine sand and disturbing them can cause soil erosion, so it is best to use only marked trails. The forest may not seem very rich in species but look around carefully, you might surprised with the variety of interesting habitats!
