Puuston

Puuston is a Finnish forestry term referring to the forest stand, the coherent unit of trees growing together within a defined area that is managed as a single unit. Puuston is described by its species composition, age structure, and vertical and horizontal structure, and it serves as the basis for planning and assessment in forestry.

In practice, puuston descriptions categorize stands by dominant species (for example Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Betula pendula), age class (young, middle-aged, mature), and structure (even-aged or uneven-aged). Additional descriptors include stand density, often expressed as basal area or stem number per hectare, and growing stock or volume. These attributes enable the calculation of potential yield and resource availability.

Puuston classifications guide management actions such as thinning, regeneration, and harvest scheduling. Planning processes use puuston data to estimate growth, model timber yield, and determine interventions. Field surveys, fixed-area plots, and increasingly remote sensing and growth models are used to inventory puuston.

Ecologically, puuston is a key unit for assessing carbon stock, biodiversity, and habitat quality. Disturbances—natural or anthropogenic—affect puuston structure and function, with implications for forest resilience and ecological services.

In Finland, puuston inventories underpin national forest inventories, corporate and municipal forest planning, and scientific research. The term is widely used in forestry literature to denote the standing timber resource within a defined area.