biodiversity
The diversity of life on planet Earth. Biodiversity can mean: 1) the genetic diversity (variety) of the genome of a single species, 2) the diversity of species in a certain area or 3) the diversity of ecosystems and organism communities.

bog
A wet, peat-forming ecosystem. Bogs can be either open or accommodate trees.

brackish water
A water type that is a mixture of saltwater and fresh water. The Baltic Sea consists of brackish water.

catchment area
The area from which water flows into a body of water.

chemical forest industry
A sector of the forest industry that focuses on producing paper, cardboard and other products through chemical means.

clay
A fine (grains are approximately 0,002 mm in size) type of soil.

climate change
The accelerated greenhouse effect caused by human activity. As a result of climate change, the planet's temperature is increasing drastically.

climate diagram
A diagram that displays the average monthly temperature and total monthly rainfall of a certain area.

continental climate
A climate type of the temperate zone, in which winters are very cold and summers are very warm.

cyclone
A moving low pressure zone that consists of a cold and a warm front.

drumlin
A structure formed as glacial ice advanced over bedrock, leaving a ridge of till behind the rock's edge.

ecosystem service
All the material and immaterial benefits provided by ecosystems for humans and other organisms.

ecosystem
An ecosystem comprises of the abiotic (non-living) environment and the living organisms that inhabit this environment.

erosion
The wearing down of rock or soil as a result of exogenous processes.

erratic boulder
A large boulder that has been transported from one place to another by glacial movement.

esker
A structure of sand and gravel that has formed at the mouth of glacial rivers during the retreat of the last Ice Age.

eutrophication
An increase in plant growth and reproduction caused by increased nutrient concentrations in the environment.

Fennoscandia
A large, natural area that includes Finland, Sweden, Norway, Eastern Karelia and the Kola Peninsula.

final felling
The final stage of the commercial forest cycle. The trees are felled when the forest has grown for approximately 70–100 years.

fjord
A U-shaped valley created by glacial currents during the last Ice Age. Fjords are common on the western coast of Norway.

glacialized rock
Rock that has been smoothed by glacial movement.

gravel
A coarse soil type, grain size 2–20 mm.

greenhouse effect
A process that keeps the atmosphere of planet Earth warm. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) let sunlight penetrate the atmosphere but prevent heat radiation from the Earth’s surface from reflecting back into space.

groundwater
A type of water that has rained down and absorbed by soil, forming deep pockets underground.

ice age
A climatically cool period in planet Earth’s history, during which large parts of the planet’s surface are covered in ice.

igneous rock
A rock type that has formed as molten volcanic rock or magma has cooled down over time. Can be divided into intrusive and volcanic rock types.

intermediate climate
A climate type of the temperate zone that displays characteristics of both continental and maritime climate types. The Finnish climate is an example of an intermediate climate.

kettle
A hole in the ground formed as a result of a melting boulder of ice.

maritime climate
A climate type of the temperate zone where the effect of the sea keeps both winters and summers more temperate than in inland areas while increasing precipitation.

mechanical forest industry
A sector of the forest industry where boards, planks and various products are produced from wood through mechanical means.

metamorphic rock
A rock type that has formed from either igneous or sedimentary rocks.

natural forest regeneration
A process where seed-producing trees are left standing in the forest after felling, producing new saplings.

post-glacial rebound
A phenomenon where the Earth’s surface rises slowly to regain its original form after sinking as a result of the weight of the continental glacier during the last Ice Age.

sand
A soil type with fine, distinguishable grains (0,2–2 mm).

Scandinavia
A peninsula that comprises the modern nations of Sweden and Norway.

sedimentary rock
A rock type that is formed when rock materials are freed by erosion and transported into the bottoms of bodies of water. Over the course of millennia, these materials are compressed into dense layers. These layers become new types of rock.

soil
The loose material that forms the ground layer above bedrock.

surface water
The water that is collected above ground in the form of lakes, seas and rivers

the Nordic countries
Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland.

till
A type of glacialized soil consisting mainly of sand and gravel of different grain sizes.

water system
A structure formed of a lake and river system and its catchment area.