The wetness of the soil and the amount of nutrients in it determine what kind of a forest will grow in a certain area. This is due to the fact that different trees have adapted to different kinds of environments. For example, spruce thrives in a wet and nutrient-rich soil, whereas pine favours a dry soil that is low in nutrients. 

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Taiga forest in Seitseminen National Park. The picture is also suitable for viewing with VR glasses! © Juha Salminen

Sand and gravel are well-draining soil types, resulting in a dry growing environment. As water passes through the soil, it also transports nutrients through it. As a result, nutrients will not accumulate in these types of soil. This kind of a soil type will usually result in a dry dry taiga forest. Its most common tree species is pine. The ground is usually covered with lichens, lingonberries, and heather. 

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Dry taiga forest. 

If the soil consists of more water-absorbent till, it will also store up more nutrients for plants. This type of soil will result in a wet taiga forest. The most common tree species in this kind of forest is spruce. The undergrowth is rich in different kinds of plants, such as blueberry, grasses, May lilies, and arctic starflowers. The oldest forests of this type are often shady, and their undergrowth consists mostly of mosses.

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Wet taiga forest. 

If the soil is even more water-absorbent and rich in nutrients, the area may well develop into a broad-leaf forest. Broad-leaf forests are rich in plant life. The fallen leaves of broadleaf trees are transformed into nutrient-rich soil when decomposed. In the past, many Finnish broad-leaf forests were transformed into fields and farmland. Only seven percent of Finnish forests can be classified as broad-leaf forest.

Different broad-leaf tree species, such as birch, are common to this forest type. If the forest is located in Southern Finland, it can also include so-called "noble" broad-leaf trees, such as oaks, maples, and elms. The undergrowth of a broad-leaf forest is usually rich in plants, mostly containing different shrubs and grasses.

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Broad-leaf forest. 

FINNISH FOREST TYPES

Characteristic	Dry taiga forest	Wet taiga forest	Broad-leaf forest
Soil type	sand, gravel	till	soil
Amount of water	low	high	good
Amount of sunlight on the ground level	high	low	high in spring, low in summer
Most common tree species	pine	spruce	broad-leaf trees
Undergrowth	lichens, mosses, lingonberry	mosses, grasses, blueberry	shrubs, grasses, etc
Animals	few	spruce forest species	plenty
Spread	all of Finland	all of Finland	Southern Finland

Parks are not technically forests, but they are a common forest-like ecosystem in urban environments. 

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Park plants and animals. Viinikka park in Tampere. The picture is also suitable for viewing with VR glasses! © Juha Salminen.