Fine-scale geodiversity in northern environments – connections with biodiversity patterns and land use

This thesis reveals how fine-scale geodiversity, the often-overlooked features of abiotic nature play a crucial role in supporting biodiversity in Northern landscapes - and how human activities can quietly erode this natural foundation. The research introduces an innovative field method for measuring fine-scale geodiversity, capturing the variety of geological, geomorphological, and hydrological features, geofeatures in short, observed within a few meters distance?

By applying this method across Boreal–Arctic heath ecosystems in Finland and Norway, Salminen shows that areas with higher geodiversity tend to host more species of vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. This link between geodiversity and biodiversity, while context-dependent, highlights the importance of subtle abiotic variation in shaping ecological communities.

Salminen also examines ski tourism landscapes in Finnish Lapland, revealing that intensive land use reduces fine-scale geodiversity and alters the types of geofeatures present. These findings underscore the vulnerability of northern environments to human disturbance.

By providing a practical and repeatable way to observe and quantify fine-scale geodiversity, the research offers a valuable tool for nature conservation, ecological monitoring, and sustainable land use planning.