The fertile forest lands also may be divided into different grades. 

 As a base for this classification, a mere grouping according to the soil 

 is unsuited, as, e.g., on glacial drift both the best and the least pro- 

 ductive grades of forests are found, depending on the circumstances. 

 Similarly, the species of tree ca,nnot be taken as the standard, as the 

 species forming the bulk of Finlands forests can all grow on the most 

 various sites. Seeing that the productivity of a forest depends greatly 

 on its condition and this again chiefly on the treatment to which 

 the forest has been subjected it is impossible to regard the present 

 productivity as a measure of their fertility of growth. The most 

 objective and the best method for the purpose, both from the point 

 of view of forest management and silviculture is a classification based 

 on what might be termed types of forest. These mirror the 

 quality of the place of growth in its entirety its atmosphere, soil 

 and even in some part the effect played by civilization on its present 

 formation. In the classifying of different types of forest, main atten- 

 tion is directed to its surface vegetation. Most easy is the classifi- 

 cation of forest ripe for cutting, the surface vegetation having gene- 

 rally in such cases enjoyed a longer period of undisturbed peace for 

 its development. 



The most important groups of forest -types and individual types 

 are the following: 



Grove- forests. The prevailing surface vegetation in these is thin- 

 leafed herbs and grasses and many of the rarer bushes. Lichen, moss 

 and brushwood are, on the other hand, hardly at all met with, or in 

 very slight degree. The so-called nobler species of tree are often com- 

 mon in the forests, at times even building up the majority in them, 

 and in the most typical cases the more exacting bushes are also com- 

 mon. With the exception of certain local types of small area (e. g., 

 those on the Ahvenanmaa (Aland) Islands and at Sortavala) the 

 following types of forest are included in this same class. 



The f e r n-t y p e (FT), of which thin-leafed, large ferns are 

 typical. The type is found chiefly in the moistish, rich valleys of the 

 southern half of the country. 



O x a 1 i s-M aj anthemum type (OMaT), which contains 

 a profusion of thin-leafed, chiefly small herbaceous plants (Oxalis 

 acetosella and Maj anthemum bifolium). Met with most commonly 

 in the rich districts of South Finland. 



Geranium -Dryopteris type (GDT), which is typi- 

 cal chiefly of the slopes of heights and of hollows in North Finland 

 only. 



Fresh Forests. The ground in these is covered by an almost un- 

 broken carpet of mosses and plentiful blueberry bushes. Almost 

 all of the ordinary forest- trees are met with here as forest-forming; 

 the so-called nobler trees are lacking or only rarely met with in these 

 forests. The following types compose this group. 



Oxalis- Myrtillus type (OMT), in which, side by side 

 with blueberry bushes and the more exacting mosses, thin-leafed 



