Campus for people, plants and pollinators
The Otaniemi campus nature is managed with respect to biodiversity and the characteristic species of habitats.
Meadows on the Otaniemi campus
A core action to promote campus biodiversity and adapt to climate change is to assess the suitability of grasslands for the campus. Meadows are important for rare and endangered species, for example, and also serve as a source of refreshment for people.
A core action to promote campus biodiversity and adapt to climate change is to assess the suitability of grasslands for campus landscape management. With regard to meadows, however, it is important to note that meadow development requires the right conditions and the right kind of management, often carried out by hand.
The natural development of meadows is either related to the traditional landscape, the history of traditional landscape management or naturally open grazed pastures, which are hardly present in Otaniemi. However, open, dry and barren grasslands are particularly important for rare and endangered species. Many traditional habitats are also threatened as habitat types.
However, on campus, meadow planting is aimed at locations where it can grow and flourish successfully, or where there is some other natural reason for establishing a meadow.
Meadows as a new habitat
Meadows should be established as a new habitat if they are sufficiently impressive in size and can create a high quality new habitat. Large open areas perform better ecologically than small ones, and the vegetation reflects the quality of the area for pollinators and other species.
Pollinating insects benefit from extensive and interconnected meadow networks with short spacing and a high proportion of flowering plants. Also important for pollinators are suitable nesting sites, such as decaying trees, and a diversity of plant species that provide food in stages.
On campus, a sandy barren meadow has been created in the area of the Vuorimiehentie by the alien species control project. The area is well suited for a new habitat meadow as there was a need to landscape the area with suitable vegetation. The meadow on the mountain pasture will also be landscaped with nearby felled birch trunks, as these provide suitable nesting sites for insects.
The Otaniemi campus also has alkaline heat-affected habitats at the Amfi of the Undergraduate Centre and in front of the Harald Herlin Learning Centre. Among other things, this type of new habitat is used when the grass does not survive due to wear and tear or drought. The area along the Vuorimiehentie is also part of this.
The Vuorimiehentie meadow also contains structures and species from the old Otaniemi Manor yard, which can spread into the new habitat meadow. It is also likely that the Japanese Knotweed problem has its origins in the history of human settlement in Otaniemi.
Vibrant and refreshing campus forests - autumn forestry maintenance begin
Forestry work will be carried out in autumn 2024, including the trimming of old trees and branches.