Forests

Territory of Vodlozersky national park presents itself enormous taiga forestland with an area of half a million hectares approximately, with vast bogs, great number of rivers, big and small lakes and its various and unique flora and fauna.

Forests constitute the largest part of the park. Forest ecosystems of the Vodlozero area present unique preserved expanse of the flat-country typical Northern and middle taiga in Eurasia. From the viewpoint of its size, it is the Europe's largest massive, and probably, one of the largest worldwide. The prevailing species are European fir (Picea abies), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), warty birch (Betula pendula), and aspen (Populus tremula).

Pine forests are spread nonuniform on a territory of the park. Only lake Vodlozero they fringe with big amber-colored necklace. The pine is indifferent to soil conditions. It grows on sandy and marshy soils. Pine forests cover more than 40% of the park's forests. They form both pure pineries and forests mixed with fir and birch and on south-west of the park - with  Siberian larch.

Fir woods take about half of the forest area of the park. The fir tree is particular in regard to soil fertility, and that's why fir woods expand the lands with clayey, loamy and peat-lay soils which are rich in water-soluble and mineral matters. For the spruce forests it is typical increased biodiversity.

Birch and aspen forests can rarely be encountered in the park. They grow on burnt places, deserted hayfields and pastures. Most often birch and aspen are a part of pine or spruce forests. From time to time birch woods take small in area difficult to traverse places by name "Korba". These are unique aboriginal birch wood. Aspen curtains like pearls are interspersed in dark coniferous taiga forest.