Patvinsuo National Park

Patvinsuo mire and forest landscape.

Patvinsuo National Park

  • Country: 
    Finland
  • Site number: 
    10
  • Area: 
    12,727 ha
  • Designation date: 
    28-05-1974
  • Coordinates: 
    63°06'N 30°44'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Situated close to the Eastern border with Russia, Patvinsuo National Park is a large complex of aapa mires, raised bogs, swamps and open water bodies. It is an important area for the preservation and study of peatland and water ecosystems of the Boreal region. The Site’s active and mostly pristine peat bogs are valuable for carbon storage, flood control and water quality maintenance. Several nationally threatened species can be found, such as the ruff (Philomachus pugnax), the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) and the internationally vulnerable rustic bunting (Emberiza rustica). In addition, four priority natural wetland habitat types listed in the European Union’s Habitats Directive are found in the Site. There are 38 archaeological sites in the area, including Stone Age dwellings located along the sandy shores of Lake Suomunjärvi. The main threats include earlier drainage activities, dams created by the invasive Canadian beaver (Castor canadensis) and recreational pressures. Visitor facilities in the National Park include cabins, campfire sites, three observation towers, three nature trails and a network of marked trails.

Administrative region: 
North Karelia

  • National legal designation: 
    • Mire Conservation Programme
    • Mire Protection Area
    • Protected Area
    • national park
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • EU Natura 2000
  • Last publication date: 
    18-01-2021