Archipelago National Park: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|National park in Finland}} |
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{{copy edit|date=June 2022}} |
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{{Infobox protected area |
{{Infobox protected area |
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| name = Archipelago National Park |
| name = Archipelago National Park |
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| iucn_category = II |
| iucn_category = II |
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| photo = |
| photo = Dimmiga Särö.jpg |
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| photo_caption = |
| photo_caption = Särö peninsula in Archipelago National Park |
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| map = Finland |
| map = Finland |
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| established = 1983 |
| established = 1983 |
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| named_for = |
| named_for = |
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| visitation_num = |
| visitation_num = 53,500 |
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| visitation_year = 2009<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Eraasiatjaretkeily/Asiakastieto/Kayntimaarat/Kansallispuistoittain/Sivut/kayntimaaratkansallispuistoittain2009.aspx|title= Käyntimäärät kansallispuistoittain 2009|accessdate= September 29, 2010|language= Finnish|publisher= [[Metsähallitus]]|archive-date= March 8, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120308053725/http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Eraasiatjaretkeily/Asiakastieto/Kayntimaarat/Kansallispuistoittain/Sivut/kayntimaaratkansallispuistoittain2009.aspx|url-status= dead}}</ref> |
| visitation_year = 2009<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Eraasiatjaretkeily/Asiakastieto/Kayntimaarat/Kansallispuistoittain/Sivut/kayntimaaratkansallispuistoittain2009.aspx|title= Käyntimäärät kansallispuistoittain 2009|accessdate= September 29, 2010|language= Finnish|publisher= [[Metsähallitus]]|archive-date= March 8, 2012|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120308053725/http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Eraasiatjaretkeily/Asiakastieto/Kayntimaarat/Kansallispuistoittain/Sivut/kayntimaaratkansallispuistoittain2009.aspx|url-status= dead}}</ref> |
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| website = {{URL|https://www.nationalparks.fi/archipelagonp}} |
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'''Archipelago National Park''' ({{lang-sv|Skärgårdshavets nationalpark}}, {{lang-fi|Saaristomeren kansallispuisto}}) is a [[national park]] in [[Southwest Finland]]. It was established in 1983 and |
'''Archipelago National Park''' ({{lang-sv|Skärgårdshavets nationalpark}}, {{lang-fi|Saaristomeren kansallispuisto}}) is a [[national park]] in [[Southwest Finland]]. It was established in 1983 and includes {{convert|500|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|}} of land area.<ref name="Archipelago national park">[http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/Pages/Default.aspx Archipelago National Park] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716160615/http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/Pages/Default.aspx |date=July 16, 2014 }}</ref><ref>The National Park is regulated by these Finnish laws: Lag om Skärgårdshavets nationalpark (645/1982) and förordningen om Skärgårdshavets nationalpark (1123/1994) and the national park's rules and regulations</ref> Most of the land is on islands smaller than {{Convert|1|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. The park encompasses about 2,000 of the 8,400 islets and skerries within the cooperative area. The larger islands are mainly owned by their inhabitants. Archipelago National Park is part of the [[UNESCO]] [[biosphere reserve]]s and received a [[PAN Parks]] certificate in 2007. |
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⚫ | The park encompasses |
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⚫ | The park encompasses most of the [[Archipelago Sea]] region east of [[Åland]] and south of the main islands of [[Korpo]], [[Nagu]], [[Pargas]], and [[Kimitoön]].<ref>[http://www.finlex.fi/data/sdliite/kart/0283.gif Map of the cooperation area]</ref> The park is mainly situated in the (former) municipalities of Nagu, Korpo, [[Houtskär]], [[Iniö]], [[Hitis]], and southern Pargas. The Archipelago Sea [[Biosphere reserve]] consists of the national park's cooperative area and the rest of the islands in the [[Åboland|Åboland archipelago]] only accessible by boat or ferry. |
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There are considerable areas of traditional agricultural landscapes within the national park. One of the objectives of national park besides protecting nature is to protect the archipelago culture and different cultural landscapes. The cooperation area plays a great in this. The National park by itself encompasses about 2000 of the 8400 islets and skerries within the cooperation area. The larger islands are mainly owned by their inhabitants. |
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One of the objectives of the national park is to protect the archipelago's cultural landscape—such as the considerable areas used for traditional agriculture—in addition to the natural landscape. To this end, the cooperative area is an essential extension of the national park. |
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One may move around freely by boat in the National park, with the exception of some protected areas. Shuttle ships operate the inhabited islands and many entrepreneurs offer transportation by agreement. |
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⚫ | Camping is allowed only in designated places (allowed on privately own lands in accordance with the [[freedom to roam]]) |
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== History == |
== History == |
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=== Early human settlement === |
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The archipelago of |
The archipelago of Southwest Finland has been populated since the end of the [[Neolithic]] (roughly 2000 BCE). The rich natural resources attracted people to the post-glacial archipelago during the [[Stone Age]] and [[Bronze Age]]. At the time, the [[Baltic Sea]] was saltier, thus offering large catches of fish, such as [[Atlantic cod]]. The area also supported large populations of [[grey seal|grey seals]] and seabirds, the latter of which were rich sources of eggs, meat, and [[Down feather|down]] for early humans. There were also good conditions for small-scale agriculture and cattle herding, thanks to a warmer climate at the time.<ref name="Archipelago history">[http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/history/Pages/Default.aspx Archipelago history] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714234452/http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/history/Pages/Default.aspx |date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref> |
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Due to [[ |
Due to [[post-glacial rebound]], the habitable islands in the Archipelago Sea have slowly risen over time. The ground still rises in the Archipelago Sea at a rate of approximately {{Convert|3-4.2|mm|in|abbr=on}} per year.<ref name="Island pastures">Lindgen, Leif 2000: Island pastures Oy Edita Ab, Helsinki. {{ISBN|951-37-3272-X}}</ref> During the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, the archipelago's outermost islets were located around the present-day main islands of [[Nagu]], [[Korpo]], and [[Houtskär]]. Meanwhile, the outermost islets of the present-day archipelago were still {{Convert|20-25|m|ft}} below sea level. As islands surfaced and grew in area, inhabitants moved farther out in the archipelago. Prehistoric sites illustrate this change in topography. For example, the Neolithic settlement of Bötesberget in the municipality of [[Dragsfjärd]], dated from 6000 BCE, would have originally been on an isolated island in the middle of open water. Today, the site is {{Convert|55|m|ft}} above sea level, on forested upland.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory">{{Cite web |title=History of Archipelago National Park |url=https://www.nationalparks.fi/archipelagonp/history |access-date=November 14, 2022 |website=NationalParks.fi}}</ref> |
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The present national park area became inhabited during the [[Iron Age]] (500 BCE–800 CE, in Northern Europe). Remains of Iron Age settlements have been found in the park's cooperative area (so far, no Stone Age settlements have been found within this area). Two prehistoric fort islets have also been recognized in the archipelago, possibly dating back to the Iron Age.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> Sailing in the Baltic Sea region began at least by the Bronze Age.{{citation-needed|date=November 2022}} The southwestern archipelago became a part of the northern Baltic Sea region cultures, which had common means of livelihood, use of metals, and burial customs. Trade, handicraft, and navigation were also practiced. [[Palynology|Pollen analysis]] has shown that agriculture along the coast has been continuous since the Iron Age.<ref name="Archipelago history" /> |
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=== Prehistoric sites === |
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The most impressive relics in the archipelago are the [[cairn]]s. These cairns have been built during the Bronze Age and the Iron Age from stones which “a man is able to lift”. The size of these barrows varies, the diameter of some low cairns is a few metres, but some are tens of metres long and a couple of metres high. In the beginning of the Bronze Age, dead bodies were buried in these barrows, but later it became the custom to burn the dead body. In some of the graves, there are jewellery or weapons. In others, there are no artefacts, or they have not been preserved. The Finnish folksy name for these cairns translates literally as “Devil’s sauna stove”.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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The archipelago has many characteristic relics—dating from the end of the Iron Age until the 18th and 19th century—which are protected by the Antiquities Act.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> One of the most significant types of relics are burial mounds. About 40 burial mounds, called [[cairn|cairns]], have been found throughout the cooperation area of Archipelago National Park. These are constructed from small, low heaps of stones. Most, if not all, date from the Iron Age. The diameter of some low cairns is a few metres, but some are tens of metres long and a couple of metres high. The Finnish folk-name for these cairns translates literally as “Devil’s sauna stove”.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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Burial mounds have been found in all parts of the archipelago, on islands of various size. However, most barrows have originally been built on larger islands, which have later become even bigger due to the land uplift. Often the burial sites have been chosen so that they stand out from the surrounding landscape, such as rocky hills or tops of the islands, with a view to the sea. The burial mounds in Archipelago National Park are low and quite small heaps of stones, which have been built near the highest place of the islands, but not on the very top. Some graves are near the shore, and some are organised in groups of several cairns. Most of the burial mounds in Southwestern Archipelago, if not all of them, are from the Iron Age. Inside the cooperation area of Archipelago National Park, most graves have been found on the large islands of Nötö and Hitis. Already in the Iron Age, these areas bristled with islands, from which it was not a long way to go fishing or seal hunting in the outer archipelago. This area, with its favourable natural conditions, may well have been inhabited already in the Iron Age.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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In the beginning of the Bronze Age, [[Barrow (archaeology)|barrows]] were used to entomb dead bodies, sometimes with jewelry or weapons; later, [[cremation]] became customary. Most barrows were originally built on larger islands, which have since expanded due to land uplift. Often, the burial sites were chosen so as to stand out from the surrounding landscape, such as on rocky hills with a view to the sea, or near (but not atop) the highest place on an island. Other graves are near the shore, and some are organized in groups. |
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=== The Swedes settle in the archipelago === |
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Inside the park's cooperative area, most graves have been found on the large islands of Nötö and Hitis. During the Iron Age, these areas would have bristled with islets, and were close to fishing and seal hunting grounds in the outer archipelago. Given these favourable natural conditions, these areas may already have been inhabited.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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Naturally, many archeological findings in the outer archipelago have something to do with fishing as a source of livelihood. These include “tomtning” remains from the temporary dwellings of the fishermen, tracks for dragging boats across the land, labyrinths, stone stoves, and marks carved onto rocks. “Tomtning” remains are related to overnight shelters or storage constructions built by our ancestors on their seasonal fishing trips. Because their fishing trips were long, shelters were needed in the harsh conditions of the archipelago. The rock walls of these temporary shelters were piled up surrounding level open floors, and they can still be seen today in many places. Sometimes natural formations, such as cliffs, were used as a part of a shelter.<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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=== Later developments === |
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In the municipality of Korpo, on the village island of [[Jurmo]], are some of the most studied antiquities in Southwestern Archipelago: so called monk rings. Interpreting these four stone circles has been tried already in the 18th century, when it was suspected that they were made by monks from the village of [[Kökar]]. It has been found that [[Franciscans]] really lived on Kökar Island from the end of the 14th century to the 1530s. So it might well be the case that the monks built these stone rings on their fishing trips, for example. Why did they do so, is still not known. One interpretation is that they are remnants of a kind om "tomtning".<ref name="The archipelago prehistory" /> |
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⚫ | In the late 13th century, Swedish settlers moved to the area from [[Svealand]], southern [[Norrland]], and [[Götaland]], substantially increasing the population.<ref name="Island pastures" /> About half of the villages in the Archipelago National Park cooperative area were inhabited by the [[Middle Ages]]. The population in the archipelago increased until the mid-16th century, after which it started to decline rapidly due to insufficient natural resources. Further decline occurred in the early 18th century due to the [[Great Northern War]] and the [[bubonic plague]].<ref name="Archipelago history" /> |
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In the mid-19th century |
In the mid-19th century, technical development in fishing methods (such as hook and drift nets) made it possible for people to live outside traditional villages, leading to fast population growth.<ref name="Archipelago history" /> In the beginning of the 20th century, people left the archipelago, attracted by work opportunities on the mainland. Unused pastureland and meadows were gradually reforested.<ref name="Island pastures" /> Starting in the 1970s, the population began to grow again, as the archipelago became a popular summer holiday destination.<ref name="Archipelago history" /> |
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{{wide image|File:Gullkrona-överblick.jpg|900px|The village of Gullkrona in [[Nagu]], within the national park}} |
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== Fauna == |
== Fauna == |
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The fauna of the Archipelago National Park is |
The fauna of the Archipelago National Park is well-known due to research and regular follow-ups. Twenty-five species of mammals have been identified; the most common ones include the [[common shrew]], [[Eurasian pygmy shrew|pygmy shrew]], [[mountain hare]], [[bank vole]], [[red fox]], [[raccoon dog]], [[mink]], and [[moose]]. The number of [[grey seal]] have increased in recent years, whereas [[ringed seal]] numbers have decreased. |
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The most common species of fish include the [[Baltic herring]], [[European perch]], [[northern pike]], [[common roach]], [[bream]], [[viviparous eelpout]], [[European flounder]], and [[fourhorn sculpin]]. |
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The National park also harbours a large number of birds. The number of species known to have nested in the national park amount to 132. The most numerous species are :[[mute swan]], [[great cormorant]], [[mallard]], [[tufted duck]], [[goosander]], [[red-breasted merganser]], [[eurasian oystercatcher]], [[ruddy turnstone]], [[common redshank]], [[common sandpiper]], [[common gull]], [[great black-backed gull]], [[european herring gull]], [[Arctic tern]], [[black guillemot]], [[white wagtail]], [[European rock pipit]], [[meadow pipit]], [[northern wheatear]], [[thrush nightingale]], [[common whitethroat]], [[lesser whitethroat]] and [[hooded crow]]. |
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=== Birds === |
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Less common but regular nesting species are [[horned grebe]], [[greylag goose]], [[barnacle goose]], [[common shelduck]], [[gadwall]], [[northern shoveler]], [[white-tailed eagle]], [[black grouse]], [[ringed plover]], [[northern lapwing]], [[eurasian woodcock]], [[Arctic skua]], [[lesser black-backed gull]], [[caspian tern]], [[common tern]], [[razorbill]], [[eurasian eagle-owl]], [[icterine warbler]], [[barred warbler]] and [[common raven]]. Rare or infrequent species in the park are among others: [[dunlin|short-billed dunlin]], [[Ruff (bird)|ruff]], [[little tern]], [[common murre]], [[long-eared owl]], [[short-eared owl]]. |
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<ref name="Island pastures" /><ref>Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its cooperation area in the beginning of the 1970s and 1990s. - Metsähallitus. Vantaa. {{ISBN|951-53-1236-1}}</ref> [[File:Seeadler-flug.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[white-tailed eagle]] is the symbol of the Archipelago National Park]] |
Over 130 species of birds are known to have nested in the national park.<ref name="Island pastures" /><ref>Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its cooperation area in the beginning of the 1970s and 1990s. - Metsähallitus. Vantaa. {{ISBN|951-53-1236-1}}</ref> |
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{{Columns-start |num=4}} |
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[[File:Seeadler-flug.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The [[white-tailed eagle]] is the symbol of the Archipelago National Park]] |
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{{Column}} |
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'''Common''' |
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* [[Arctic tern]] |
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* [[black guillemot]] |
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* [[common gull]] |
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* [[common redshank]] |
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* [[common sandpiper]] |
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* [[common whitethroat]] |
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* [[Eurasian oystercatcher]] |
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* [[European herring gull]] |
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* [[European rock pipit]] |
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* [[great black-backed gull]] |
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* [[great cormorant]] |
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* [[goosander]] |
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* [[hooded crow]] |
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* [[lesser whitethroat]] |
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* [[mallard]] |
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* [[meadow pipit]] |
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* [[mute swan]] |
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* [[northern wheatear]] |
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* [[red-breasted merganser]] |
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* [[ruddy turnstone]] |
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* [[thrush nightingale]] |
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* [[tufted duck]] |
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* [[white wagtail]] |
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{{Column}} |
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'''Less Common''' |
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* [[Arctic skua]] |
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* [[barnacle goose]] |
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* [[barred warbler]] |
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* [[black grouse]] |
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* [[Caspian tern]] |
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* [[common raven]] |
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* [[common shelduck]] |
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* [[common tern]] |
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* [[Eurasian eagle-owl]] |
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* [[Eurasian woodcock]] |
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* [[gadwall]] |
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* [[greylag goose]] |
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* [[horned grebe]] |
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* [[icterine warbler]] |
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* [[lesser black-backed gull]] |
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* [[northern lapwing]] |
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* [[northern shoveler]] |
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* [[razorbill]] |
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* [[ringed plover]] |
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* [[white-tailed eagle]] |
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{{Column}} |
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'''Rare''' |
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* [[common murre]] |
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* [[dunlin|short-billed dunlin]] |
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* [[little tern]] |
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* [[long-eared owl]] |
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* [[Ruff (bird)|ruff]] |
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* [[short-eared owl]] |
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{{Columns-end}} |
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=== Removal of mink === |
=== Removal of mink === |
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Following the removal of [[mink]] from the Archipelago National Park in the 1990s, many bird species increased in numbers and experienced improved nesting success. Out of the 22 species of archipelago birds studied, 14 showed an increase in numbers. Some species ([[tufted duck]], [[velvet scoter]], [[Arctic tern]]) increased greatly.<ref>[http://domino.utu.fi/tiedotus/tiedotukset.nsf/0/aaf120f415051f65c2256d21001b78af?OpenDocument Mikael Nordström's doctoral thesis] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214003341/http://domino.utu.fi/tiedotus/tiedotukset.nsf/0/aaf120f415051f65c2256d21001b78af?OpenDocument |date=December 14, 2011 }}</ref> In 2006, removal of mink was initiated in the Vänö archipelago in southern [[Dragsfjärd]]. Here again, the results show that the nesting success of some species increased greatly and rapidly.<ref>[http://www.mmm.fi/fi/index/luonnonvarayhteistyo/uutiset/090723_minkki.html Ministry of agriculture and forestry/Common interest in natural resources] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606222348/http://www.mmm.fi/fi/index/luonnonvarayhteistyo/uutiset/090723_minkki.html |date=June 6, 2014 }}</ref> |
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== Visiting the park == |
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⚫ | Transportation in the Archipelago National Park is mainly by boat. There are shuttle ship connections to all of the inhabited islands within the cooperative area. The islands of Holma, Jurmo, and Berghamn are accessible by shuttle ship and national park services offered on the islands. The shuttle ship harbours at Prostvik and Pärnäs in [[Nagu]] and [[Kasnäs]] in [[Kimitoön]] are accessible by road and have bus connections.{{Clarify|reason=Unclear which places are accessible by road vs ship|date=November 2022}} Both the Blue Mussel visitor center in [[Kasnäs]], [[Kimitoön]], and the Archipelago Centre in Korpoström, [[Korpo]], offer information on the Archipelago Sea and the Archipelago National Park. They can both be reached by car and have bus connections.<ref name="Archipelago directions and maps">[http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/directionsandmaps/Pages/Default.aspx Archipelago directions and maps] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231440/http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/directionsandmaps/Pages/Default.aspx|date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Visitors may move around freely by boat within the national park, except in some protected areas. Camping is allowed only in designated places (allowed on privately own lands in accordance with the [[freedom to roam]]). Building campfires is allowed only in designated places, unless mandated otherwise (i.e., fire-making is prohibited if a forest fire warning is in effect). Picking berries and mushrooms is permitted. Mind roosting birds when landing on islets; those with many nesting birds should only be visited in autumn and winter.<ref>{{cite web |title=Outdoors.fi - Instructions and Rules in Archipelago National Park |url=http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/instructionsandrules/Pages/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715010648/http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/instructionsandrules/Pages/Default.aspx |archivedate=2014-07-15 |accessdate=2014-06-10}} Archipelago national park rules</ref> There are nature trails on some of the islands. There is an underwater trail for divers on Stora Hästö in Korpo, and one in shallower water for snorkelers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Outdoors.fi - Activities in Archipelago National Park |url=http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/activities/Pages/Default.aspx |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230930/http://www.outdoors.fi/destinations/nationalparks/archipelago/activities/Pages/Default.aspx |archivedate=2014-07-14 |accessdate=2014-06-10}} Archipelago national park activities</ref> |
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== Connections == |
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== Literature == |
== Literature == |
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* Miettinen, Mika 1996: Saaristomeren kansallispuiston eteläosan ja eteläisen Selkämeren pesimälinnusto 1993. - Metsähallitus, Vantaa. {{ISBN|951-53-0865-8}} (In Finnish with English abstract) |
* Miettinen, Mika 1996: Saaristomeren kansallispuiston eteläosan ja eteläisen Selkämeren pesimälinnusto 1993. - Metsähallitus, Vantaa. {{ISBN|951-53-0865-8}} (In Finnish with English abstract) |
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* Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its |
* Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its cooperative area in the beginning of the 1970s and 1990s. - Metsähallitus. Vantaa. {{ISBN|951-53-1236-1}} (In Finnish with English abstract) |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.outdoors.fi/archipelagonp |
* [http://www.outdoors.fi/archipelagonp Archipelago National Park – Outdoors.fi] |
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* [https://www.nationalparks.fi/archipelagonp Archipelago National Park – Nationalparks.fi] |
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{{Commons category|Archipelago National Park}} |
{{Commons category|Archipelago National Park}} |
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Latest revision as of 19:29, 23 May 2024
Archipelago National Park | |
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Särö peninsula in Archipelago National Park | |
Location | Southwest Finland, Finland |
Coordinates | 59°54′53″N 21°52′39″E / 59.91472°N 21.87750°E |
Area | 500 km2 (190 sq mi) |
Established | 1983 |
Visitors | 53,500 (in 2009[1]) |
Governing body | Metsähallitus |
Website | www |
Archipelago National Park (Swedish: Skärgårdshavets nationalpark, Finnish: Saaristomeren kansallispuisto) is a national park in Southwest Finland. It was established in 1983 and includes 500 km2 (190 sq mi) of land area.[2][3] Most of the land is on islands smaller than 1 km2 (0.39 sq mi). The park encompasses about 2,000 of the 8,400 islets and skerries within the cooperative area. The larger islands are mainly owned by their inhabitants. Archipelago National Park is part of the UNESCO biosphere reserves and received a PAN Parks certificate in 2007.
The park encompasses most of the Archipelago Sea region east of Åland and south of the main islands of Korpo, Nagu, Pargas, and Kimitoön.[4] The park is mainly situated in the (former) municipalities of Nagu, Korpo, Houtskär, Iniö, Hitis, and southern Pargas. The Archipelago Sea Biosphere reserve consists of the national park's cooperative area and the rest of the islands in the Åboland archipelago only accessible by boat or ferry.
One of the objectives of the national park is to protect the archipelago's cultural landscape—such as the considerable areas used for traditional agriculture—in addition to the natural landscape. To this end, the cooperative area is an essential extension of the national park.
History
[edit]Early human settlement
[edit]The archipelago of Southwest Finland has been populated since the end of the Neolithic (roughly 2000 BCE). The rich natural resources attracted people to the post-glacial archipelago during the Stone Age and Bronze Age. At the time, the Baltic Sea was saltier, thus offering large catches of fish, such as Atlantic cod. The area also supported large populations of grey seals and seabirds, the latter of which were rich sources of eggs, meat, and down for early humans. There were also good conditions for small-scale agriculture and cattle herding, thanks to a warmer climate at the time.[5]
Due to post-glacial rebound, the habitable islands in the Archipelago Sea have slowly risen over time. The ground still rises in the Archipelago Sea at a rate of approximately 3–4.2 mm (0.12–0.17 in) per year.[6] During the Neolithic period and the Bronze Age, the archipelago's outermost islets were located around the present-day main islands of Nagu, Korpo, and Houtskär. Meanwhile, the outermost islets of the present-day archipelago were still 20–25 metres (66–82 ft) below sea level. As islands surfaced and grew in area, inhabitants moved farther out in the archipelago. Prehistoric sites illustrate this change in topography. For example, the Neolithic settlement of Bötesberget in the municipality of Dragsfjärd, dated from 6000 BCE, would have originally been on an isolated island in the middle of open water. Today, the site is 55 metres (180 ft) above sea level, on forested upland.[7]
The present national park area became inhabited during the Iron Age (500 BCE–800 CE, in Northern Europe). Remains of Iron Age settlements have been found in the park's cooperative area (so far, no Stone Age settlements have been found within this area). Two prehistoric fort islets have also been recognized in the archipelago, possibly dating back to the Iron Age.[7] Sailing in the Baltic Sea region began at least by the Bronze Age.[citation needed] The southwestern archipelago became a part of the northern Baltic Sea region cultures, which had common means of livelihood, use of metals, and burial customs. Trade, handicraft, and navigation were also practiced. Pollen analysis has shown that agriculture along the coast has been continuous since the Iron Age.[5]
Prehistoric sites
[edit]The archipelago has many characteristic relics—dating from the end of the Iron Age until the 18th and 19th century—which are protected by the Antiquities Act.[7] One of the most significant types of relics are burial mounds. About 40 burial mounds, called cairns, have been found throughout the cooperation area of Archipelago National Park. These are constructed from small, low heaps of stones. Most, if not all, date from the Iron Age. The diameter of some low cairns is a few metres, but some are tens of metres long and a couple of metres high. The Finnish folk-name for these cairns translates literally as “Devil’s sauna stove”.[7]
In the beginning of the Bronze Age, barrows were used to entomb dead bodies, sometimes with jewelry or weapons; later, cremation became customary. Most barrows were originally built on larger islands, which have since expanded due to land uplift. Often, the burial sites were chosen so as to stand out from the surrounding landscape, such as on rocky hills with a view to the sea, or near (but not atop) the highest place on an island. Other graves are near the shore, and some are organized in groups.
Inside the park's cooperative area, most graves have been found on the large islands of Nötö and Hitis. During the Iron Age, these areas would have bristled with islets, and were close to fishing and seal hunting grounds in the outer archipelago. Given these favourable natural conditions, these areas may already have been inhabited.[7]
Later developments
[edit]In the late 13th century, Swedish settlers moved to the area from Svealand, southern Norrland, and Götaland, substantially increasing the population.[6] About half of the villages in the Archipelago National Park cooperative area were inhabited by the Middle Ages. The population in the archipelago increased until the mid-16th century, after which it started to decline rapidly due to insufficient natural resources. Further decline occurred in the early 18th century due to the Great Northern War and the bubonic plague.[5]
In the mid-19th century, technical development in fishing methods (such as hook and drift nets) made it possible for people to live outside traditional villages, leading to fast population growth.[5] In the beginning of the 20th century, people left the archipelago, attracted by work opportunities on the mainland. Unused pastureland and meadows were gradually reforested.[6] Starting in the 1970s, the population began to grow again, as the archipelago became a popular summer holiday destination.[5]
Fauna
[edit]The fauna of the Archipelago National Park is well-known due to research and regular follow-ups. Twenty-five species of mammals have been identified; the most common ones include the common shrew, pygmy shrew, mountain hare, bank vole, red fox, raccoon dog, mink, and moose. The number of grey seal have increased in recent years, whereas ringed seal numbers have decreased.
The most common species of fish include the Baltic herring, European perch, northern pike, common roach, bream, viviparous eelpout, European flounder, and fourhorn sculpin.
Birds
[edit]Over 130 species of birds are known to have nested in the national park.[6][8]
Common
- Arctic tern
- black guillemot
- common gull
- common redshank
- common sandpiper
- common whitethroat
- Eurasian oystercatcher
- European herring gull
- European rock pipit
- great black-backed gull
- great cormorant
- goosander
- hooded crow
- lesser whitethroat
- mallard
- meadow pipit
- mute swan
- northern wheatear
- red-breasted merganser
- ruddy turnstone
- thrush nightingale
- tufted duck
- white wagtail
Less Common
- Arctic skua
- barnacle goose
- barred warbler
- black grouse
- Caspian tern
- common raven
- common shelduck
- common tern
- Eurasian eagle-owl
- Eurasian woodcock
- gadwall
- greylag goose
- horned grebe
- icterine warbler
- lesser black-backed gull
- northern lapwing
- northern shoveler
- razorbill
- ringed plover
- white-tailed eagle
Removal of mink
[edit]Following the removal of mink from the Archipelago National Park in the 1990s, many bird species increased in numbers and experienced improved nesting success. Out of the 22 species of archipelago birds studied, 14 showed an increase in numbers. Some species (tufted duck, velvet scoter, Arctic tern) increased greatly.[9] In 2006, removal of mink was initiated in the Vänö archipelago in southern Dragsfjärd. Here again, the results show that the nesting success of some species increased greatly and rapidly.[10]
Visiting the park
[edit]Transportation in the Archipelago National Park is mainly by boat. There are shuttle ship connections to all of the inhabited islands within the cooperative area. The islands of Holma, Jurmo, and Berghamn are accessible by shuttle ship and national park services offered on the islands. The shuttle ship harbours at Prostvik and Pärnäs in Nagu and Kasnäs in Kimitoön are accessible by road and have bus connections.[clarification needed] Both the Blue Mussel visitor center in Kasnäs, Kimitoön, and the Archipelago Centre in Korpoström, Korpo, offer information on the Archipelago Sea and the Archipelago National Park. They can both be reached by car and have bus connections.[11]
Visitors may move around freely by boat within the national park, except in some protected areas. Camping is allowed only in designated places (allowed on privately own lands in accordance with the freedom to roam). Building campfires is allowed only in designated places, unless mandated otherwise (i.e., fire-making is prohibited if a forest fire warning is in effect). Picking berries and mushrooms is permitted. Mind roosting birds when landing on islets; those with many nesting birds should only be visited in autumn and winter.[12] There are nature trails on some of the islands. There is an underwater trail for divers on Stora Hästö in Korpo, and one in shallower water for snorkelers.[13]
Literature
[edit]- Miettinen, Mika 1996: Saaristomeren kansallispuiston eteläosan ja eteläisen Selkämeren pesimälinnusto 1993. - Metsähallitus, Vantaa. ISBN 951-53-0865-8 (In Finnish with English abstract)
- Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its cooperative area in the beginning of the 1970s and 1990s. - Metsähallitus. Vantaa. ISBN 951-53-1236-1 (In Finnish with English abstract)
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Käyntimäärät kansallispuistoittain 2009" (in Finnish). Metsähallitus. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2010.
- ^ Archipelago National Park Archived July 16, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ The National Park is regulated by these Finnish laws: Lag om Skärgårdshavets nationalpark (645/1982) and förordningen om Skärgårdshavets nationalpark (1123/1994) and the national park's rules and regulations
- ^ Map of the cooperation area
- ^ a b c d e Archipelago history Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Lindgen, Leif 2000: Island pastures Oy Edita Ab, Helsinki. ISBN 951-37-3272-X
- ^ a b c d e "History of Archipelago National Park". NationalParks.fi. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ Mietinen, Mika; Stjernberg, Torsten & Högmander, Jouko 1997: Breeding bird fauna in the Southwestern Archipelago National Park and in its cooperation area in the beginning of the 1970s and 1990s. - Metsähallitus. Vantaa. ISBN 951-53-1236-1
- ^ Mikael Nordström's doctoral thesis Archived December 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ministry of agriculture and forestry/Common interest in natural resources Archived June 6, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Archipelago directions and maps Archived July 14, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Outdoors.fi - Instructions and Rules in Archipelago National Park". Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-06-10. Archipelago national park rules
- ^ "Outdoors.fi - Activities in Archipelago National Park". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-06-10. Archipelago national park activities