UPM and University of Eastern Finland launch research on mire restoration and water impacts

UPM is launching its own doctoral program focused on the ecological impacts of forest management and other nature management actions in forestry. The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) has been selected as the program’s first partner, with an initial emphasis on water protection.

The first research topic will examine how peatland management – particularly mire restoration – affects water chemistry and aquatic biota. The work aims to clarify how different restoration measures influence water quality and biodiversity in waterways immediately after the actions have been implemented, generating practical, research-based insights for forestry and water protection.

“We want to create more responsible, safer, and more productive forest management methods through research and development. We need research-based information on the effects of our activities on tree growth, forest health, economic performance, and the state of waterways, climate, and biodiversity. Our own doctoral program enables long-term, cutting-edge research, the results of which can be directly applied in UPM’s forests while also developing our service offering to forest owners and influencing practices across the entire industry,” says Janne Uuttera, Research and Development Manager, UPM Forest.

UPM selected UEF for the first doctoral dissertation based on the university’s expertise and long research tradition in mire and water ecology. UEF has also been linked to the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Peatlands, Climate Change and Ecological Restoration, part of the national CoE programme.

“The research collaboration that has now been launched is a necessary and timely initiative, which will also allow us to utilize and combine the University of Eastern Finland’s expertise in mire and water ecology,” says Associate Professor Anna Laine-Petäjäkangas of the Department of Forest Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland.

UPM’s first doctoral student will carry out the research within UEF’s Doctoral Program in Natural Sciences, Forest Sciences and Technology (LUMETO). The work will be supervised by Associate Professor Anna Laine-Petäjäkangas and Professor Raine Kortet, while the university will be responsible for scientific quality and supervision. UPM’s own forests will serve as the research platform and pilot areas, enabling the results to be directly applied in the development of forest management practices. The research is scheduled to start in spring 2026 and continue for four years, with funding provided by UPM, LUMETO, UEF’s Department of Forest Sciences, and the CoE programme.