On the Emperor's Tour
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Rokua Nature Trail On the Emperor’s Tour Metsähallitus – Rokuan luontorastit Sisällys Map 3 Smells 10 Rokua 4 Shadow pantomime 10 Rokua formation 4 Water moves sand 10 Flora and fauna 5 Finding water with a divining rod 10 Fore sts 5 Cone man or cone woman 11 Marshes and shores 6 If I were a tree 11 Fauna 6 Facing a tree 11 Rokua National Park 7 Finding traces of frost damage 11 Human history 8 Burn scars 11 History of population settlement 8 Lichen on the trunks 12 The Emperor’s Road 8 Measuring tree height 12 Tar burning 8 The age of a tree 12 Trails 9 The signifi cance of colours 12 The Emperor’s Tour 9 Food chain 12 Ski tracks 9 Word game 13 Tales 9 Identifying the object 13 Tar burners 9 Feeling the object 13 Get up and climb the tree 9 Snake run 13 Black-throated diver – a bird in a hurry 10 ”The ship has been loaded” 13 Water gnome 10 Water contest 13 Exercises and games 10 Signposts 14 Sound laboratory 10 References 17 This material has been produced by Metsähallitus Ostrobothnia Natural Heritage Services Text: Vesa Krökki, Anu Hilli Translation: Janne-Pekka Rissanen Layout: Jaana Hietala Illustrations: Juha Ilkka, Antti Rönkä, Simo Yli-Lonttinen 2 Metsähallitus – Rokuan luontorastit to U Rokua tajärvi, Oulu nature trail Border of the national park Border of the national park extension Pitkämäki Road Trail Spa and Tulijärvi Emperor’s tour Wellness Hotel Information Lianjärvi Tracking the black woodpecker Parking Forest For the disabled Kirvesjärvi Underwater world birds Ahveroinen Shelter cabin Syväjärvi Lappish kota hut Hiking trail Campfire site Tent site Tar pit TRAVEL CENTRE Nature trail signpost SUPPA Forest © Metsähallitus 2006 life Vaulujärvi © Maanmittauslaitos 1/MYY/04 Saarinen Rokua YMCA Centre Hotel Rokuanhovi Salminen Vauluvaara Rokuanvaara Traces of Syvyydenkaivo the Ice Age Siirasvaarat Koivuvaara Keisarintie Pookivaara Fireman’s nightmare Haimakaisenmonttu Hätäjärvi A moment for silence Pitkäjärvi Rokua National Park Spirits, sauna and tar Maitolamminkangas Rokuanjärvi 0 500 1000 m 8794 to Vaala, Kajaani 3 Metsähallitus – Rokuan luontorastit Rokua Rokuanvaara is situated in the municipalities of Uta- Lichen-rich pine forests, clear-water ponds and järvi, Muhos, and Vaala near the provincial border of steep kettle holes are characteristic of Rokua. The Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu. beautiful landscape allows you to enjoy the peace and atmosphere of the wilderness, and yet is close to ame- nities. Rokua formation Finland has been covered with an ice sheet numero- Rokuanvaara is clearly distinct from the surroun- us times. The ice and melting waters have carved up ding areas, most of which is fl at, marshy land. With the terrain. The latest ice age which fi nished about 194 metres (636 ft) Pookivaara, the highest esker in 10,000 years ago levelled down and rounded the ter- the area, has its summit at about 70 metres (230 ft) rain. Till, the most common Finnish soil type emer- higher up than the surrounding areas. Kettle holes, ged from rock material which was loosened, crushed steep hollows in eskers are characteristic of the Ro- and ground by the ice. kua landscape. They emerged when large lumps of ice buried in the sand, melted down. Typically, the kettle holes are long and narrow, and their depth may vary from just a couple of metres to as much as 50 m (about 150 ft). The deepest kettle holes can be found at the Pookivaara area, and often there is a pond or a lake at the bottom, examples of which are Pitkäjärvi, Hätä- järvi, Saarinen and Kiviahveroinen to name a few. The Finnish drift sand formations emerged soon after the withdrawal of the ice sheet approximately 10,000 to 9,000 years ago. The dunes ceased to move when covered with vegetation. Also known as fossi- lised dunes, they occur in connection with glacifl uvial formations. Being about 18 km (11 miles) long and 1.5 to 5 km (1 to 3 miles) wide the Rokua dune fi eld is one of the best-known inland dune formations in Finland. The dunes have been shaped by westerly and north-westerly winds and they are, although forested over the years, still quite clearly visible. During the last Ice Age the land was compressed Of the rock foundation, as much as 97 % is cove- by a 1.5 km (4,300 ft) ice sheet. After the Ice Age was red with till. The glacial melting waters wore out the over, most of the area was still under water, either as terrain by leaving behind glaciated rocks, and groo- part of the various phases of the Baltic Sea basin or un- ves and furrows on its surface, and small canyons and der glacial lakes. Dry land was found only in highest stream beds on Lappish mountains. Ground layers elevations. In Finland, the land is still rising, which originating from melting waters are, for example, es- means that it is trying to return to the elevation where kers, deltas, sandurs, and edge formations. The uni- it was before the Ice Age. The land rise is still clearly que landscape in Rokua reached its current shape at distinct along the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. the stage when the ice sheet was melting transporting, The Rokua area was freed from ice about 9,000 yea- sorting and piling up ground material. rs ago. At that time the summit of Rokuanvaara rose Rokuanvaara is a 20 km (12 miles) long and 5 km from the sea as an island. Rokua became part of the (3 miles) wide formation made up of eskers and du- mainland about 7,000 years ago when the waterline nes. The eskers emerged from soil material left in the withdrew as a result of land rise. There are still some tunnels inside the ice sheet or from the material piled remains of sea, ancient shores and banks. Similar for- up at the edges of glacial rivers. The direction of eskers mations can be found all over Finland. The banks at thus depicts the direction of the ice sheet’s withdra- different heights of the slopes of Rokuanvaara tell us wal. the history of the Baltic Sea shores phase by phase. 4 Metsähallitus – Rokuan luontorastit Flora and fauna The nature is characteristically barren. As most of the On the dry slopes you may be able to spot a rare soil is nothing but sand, water quickly penetrates deep combination of lichen growing with lilies-of-the-val- to the ground out of the reach of vegetation, and in ley (Convallaria majalis). Of the latter, solomon’s-seal terms of growth its nutrient level is low. (Polygonatum odoratum) is preserved and endange- The fl ora consists of species that have adjusted to red. Plants of the clubmoss family, such as ground endure draught and low nutrition. The fl ora consists pine (Diphasiastrum complanatum) and stiff club- largely of forest vegetation, and to some extent of moss (Lycopodium annotinum), and various grasses marsh and shoreline vegetation. There are also small are typical plants on the ground layer in barren and pockets of treeless moors. dry areas. The ground layer consists of lichens and mosses. Fore sts Together with cetraria lichen and island cetraria lichen The Rokua area is part of the mid-boreal Ostroboth- nia-Kainuu forest zone. Almost the entire area of the Rokua National Park is covered with dry lichen-rich forests on a sand bed. Dry forests with black crowber- ry and heather type of vegetation are also common. Some patches of damper forest types occur only at ponds. The dominant tree is (Scotch) pine (Pinus sylvest- ris), but white and silver birches (Betula pubescens and pendula), aspen (Populus tremula), grey and black alder (Alnus incana and glutinosa), as well as rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) are also found in the approximity of lakes and ponds. Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria majalis) (Cetraria ericetorum and islandica) reindeer lichen and greygreen reindeer lichen (Cladina arbuscula and rangiferina) are quite common. Populations of star reindeer lichen (Cladina stellaris) are best preserved in the National Park area. ”Snow lichen” (Cetraria niva- lis) and cup lichen (Cladonia sp.) are also common. Of the mosses, the most common species are Schreber’s big red stem moss (Pleurozium schreberi) splendid feather moss (Hylocomium splendens), and various types of polytrichum moss (Polytrichum sp.) and dicranum moss (Dicranum sp.). Rokua serves as a good example of a lichen-covered dry soil that grows intact outside the reindeer management area that is situated further north. Black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) Forest fi res have played a signifi cant role in forest formation, since dry forests catch fi re very easily. On The shrub layer is almost entirely missing. The average the trees are 100 to 150 years old. Approxi- fi eld layer typically grows dwarf shrubs, such as heat- mately 120 years ago one fi re destroyed almost all her (Calluna vulgaris), black crowberry (Empetrum forests in the Rokuanvaara area. Since then the trees nigrum), and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea). have been growing undisturbed, so the oldest forest in Whortleberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), common bear- Rokua is found in this area. Outside the National Park berry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), and bog blueberry on the western slopes of Rokuanvaara there are still (Vaccinium uliginosum) are found in damper areas. traces of a forest fi re that took place in 1948. 5 Metsähallitus – Rokuan luontorastit Marshes and shores Fauna The Finnish soil turns into a marsh in the following Due to the barren vegetation in Rokua, not many ty- situations: when land rises from the sea, when mineral pes of fauna are found in the area.