The
archipelago in the Baltic Sea between Åland and mainland Finland is one of the
largest archipelagos in the
world. The National Park includes more than 2,000 islands and rocky islets shaped by
waves and the ice sheet during the Ice Age. Inside the
co-operation area of the park, there are about 8400 islands and islets altogether. The
National Park mostly consists of outer archipelago, characterised by windswept
pine forests (Pinus sylvestris)
on the rocks, low
deciduous forests and bare rocky islets which show parts of the
2,000-million-year-old bedrock. However, between the rocks there are hollows
with lush vegetation of great diversity.
Due to
the salinity in the brackish water (in the Archipelago about 5-6 per mil), the
number of different species living under water is low, but because of abundance
of populations of the species, the sea is filled with
life.
Large areas of open sea, brackish water, bare outer
islets and lush herb-rich forests create the habitat for diversity of plant and
animal species. A special feature of the National Park are traditional
agricultural landscapes, such as leaf fodder meadows, wooded pastures, dry
meadows, coastal meadows and heaths, where the cattle of the inhabitants of the archipelago grazes. There are
about 3 sq.km. of traditional agricultural landscapes in the National Park. The goal
of the National Park is to protect the ecosystems and the culture of the
Archipelago and the traditional ways of utilising the nature, to preserve the
communities of the archipelago, and to promote environmental research.
Plants
The exceptional diversity of the vegetation at the
Archipelago Sea arises from the small features of the landscape, and the variety
of rock basement. Although the park for most part consists of bare and rocky
outer islands, calciferous soils nourished by shell remains and deposits of
limestone can support luxuriant groves between the rocks. For example, ash
(Fraxinus excelsior)
often grows in the hollows.
Around dry pasture meadows grow the Bloody Cranesbill
(Geranium sanguineum) and the Swallowwort (Vincetoxcium
hirundinaria). On leaf fodder meadows bloom the Elder-flowered Orchid
(Dactylorhiza sambucina) and the Nettle-leaved Bellflower
(Campanula trachelium), and on the edge of the forest grow the Common
Buckthorn (Rhamnus catharticus), and the Crab Apple (Malus
sylvestris).
Animals
In
the Archipelago area live 25 species of mammals, the most common ones being
small rodents. Also large animals, such as mooses (Alces alces), can be seen. Most part of the declining
population of the Baltic Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida botnica) in the
archipelago lives inside the National Park. The Grey Seal (Halichoerus
grypus ) is becoming more common, and it may turn up to watch
boaters almost anywhere in the National Park.
There are 132 breeding bird species in the Archipelago.
Gulls (Larus), arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), eiders
(Somateria molissima), razorbills (Alca torda) and black
guillemots (Gepphus grylle) nest on small bird islets. The mute swan
(Cygnus olor), greylag goose (Anser anser) and shelduck
(Tadorna tadorna) build their nests in the peaceful archipelago, while
the arctic skua (Stercorarius parasiticus)
looks out on the high rocks.
The nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) and
barred warbler (Sylvia nisoria) live in the shelter of leafy trees.
These days it is also possible to see the white-tailed eagle (Halliaeetus
albicilla) gliding up in the sky. It has been saved from exctinction by
active conservation measures. Threatened species in the area include the caspian
tern (Sterna caspia) and a subspecies of the Dunlin
(Calidris alpina schinzii).
