Translating the silent dialogue of nature - Lahti
Henkilö makaa niityllä, päällään keltainen huomioliivi. Henkilö makaa niityllä, päällään keltainen huomioliivi.

Translating the silent dialogue of nature

Ahti Pulli is writing his master's thesis in ecology and evolutionary biology on the diversity of meadow ecosystems. Pulli started his degree course amid the coronavirus pandemic when birds became a source of comfort for him and gave him an escape from a life of isolation. Pulli hopes that urban planners, in particular, will discover his thesis when it is published next spring. 

Text: Anu-Liisa Rönkä
Pictures: Juha-Pekka Huotari

Ahti Pulli, 24, leans over a stereo microscope at the University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Biological and Environmental Science. He is analysing a moss sample.

”This is good; lots of spores! They look like little flowers.”

The sample is from the eastern slope of the Lappeenranta Fortress. For his thesis, Pulli has collected plant and soil samples from a total of 30 meadows located in various parts of his hometown of Lappeenranta.

”The shape of the leaves and spores is an important indicator in species identification. The key is finding tiny differences, such as whether there are one, two or three layers of cells along the edge of the leaf”, Pulli explains.

There are just under a thousand moss species in Finland. Most of them are rare and only found in specific locations, such as in the northwest tip of Lapland. Pulli admits that he had initially worried about not being able to see differences and tell moss species apart.

”It turns out that analysing samples is actually surprisingly interesting and also somehow soothing. I like working with my hands and being away from the computer.”

”In our increasingly digitalised world, it is refreshing to be physically involved. I feel the same way when I kneel down next to a plant in a meadow: it allows me see the world from a different perspective. That inspires me to get out and explore the natural environment,” Pulli explains.

Pulli consults an identification manual to name the sample under the microscope:

”Tufted thread-moss. It belongs to the genus Bryum”, he reports and makes a note in his Excel spreadsheet.

Creating more meadows is a great way to fight biodiversity loss

The working title of Pulli’s thesis is The effect of land-use history and environmental factors on the prevalence of vascular plant species in the urban meadows of Lappeenranta. The importance of meadows in preserving biodiversity has become a big thing in Finland. Pulli’s thesis is, therefore, very much on trend. Many local authorities, including the City of Lahti, have begun to invest in urban meadows.

Pulli’s samples are all from meadows located in Lappeenranta. Still, his findings could inspire other towns and cities to start building networks of species-rich habitats.

Lahti is committed to increasing the area of meadowland. One of the objectives of Lahti’s new green space strategy is to turn more and more open spaces into meadows.

”Meadows and open fields are an important part of Lahti’s network of green spaces and cultural environments. Increasing the area of meadowland in the city helps to preserve biodiversity and the cultural value of the landscape. It also allows us to slow down climate change and reduce the risk of flooding. Creating new meadows also provides for more efficient use of maintenance resources”, says the City of Lahti’s Maintenance Horticulturist, Seija Nurkkala.

Lahti wants residents to enjoy local nature, especially the abundance of plant and bird species associated with meadows and other grassland habitats.

”Urban meadows are also great for sports such as disc golf. Some of our meadows, such as the prehistoric settlements of Ristola and Paakkolanmäki, are managed by livestock grazing. The farm animals are a big hit with children in particular”, Nurkkala says.

Henkilö kävelee kerrostalon vierustaa pitkiin.

Meadows are an important habitat for many species

Land-use changes have turned meadows into an endangered habitat, and time is of the essence to save them. Vast areas of meadowland have been lost to modern agriculture, housing and forestry. This has also caused many plant and insect species to lose their natural habitats.

According to the 2019 Red List of Finnish Species, the overgrowing of open spaces is the primary reason for the endangerment and extinction of many species.

What makes meadows so important is their ability to provide a habitat for many plants and insect species. Pulli’s research echoes this. He used a square-metre quadrat, which he placed in five random locations in the 30 meadows that were included in his study. He had a total of 150 square metres of habitat to analyse.

”My analysis identified an average of 12 plant species per square metre when a regular lawn usually has around ten. The most species-rich meadows had as many as 20 species per square metre, which is significantly more than in a traditional lawn.”

Pulli also observed a considerable difference in the height of plants in meadows compared to lawns. Lawns are cut frequently, which prevents plants from flowering. In meadows, flowering plants attract insects in search of nectar. Meadows consequently also have a much larger variety of insect species than lawns.

Meadows do not conform to traditional aesthetic ideals

”Another benefit of meadows is that they are beautiful to look at. Wildflower meadows add variety and bring visual diversity to the urban environment. Seeing such an abundance of different plants that you would not get in a lawn is exciting”, Pulli says.

And what is the biologist’s take on the argument that meadows look untidy in an urban environment?

”People in towns and cities are used to seeing manicured lawns and pristine flowerbeds. This clean-lines aesthetic is part of urban culture, and many feel that a minimalist environment is more aesthetically pleasing and somehow safer because you know what to expect.”

However, Pulli believes that attitudes are changing and that more and more people are beginning to appreciate biodiversity in urban settings as well. But it takes time and patience to change mindsets.

”It is important to remember that creating meadows does not mean letting nature run wild. Meadows, too, need to be tended; they are just given more space to do their natural thing than traditional lawns.”

”Meadows and lawns can exist side by side in urban environments and allow both people and nature to thrive. There are many bird species, such as thrushes, that actually prefer to look for food in lawns than in meadows. Both habitat types are therefore needed and both can add value and diversity to an urban environment.”

Making space for nature creates obstacles for urban planners

Urban planning is ultimately about finding the best use for the land that is available. One key question is whether towns and cities should be compact with little natural environment or sprawling with larger green spaces in between.

”I personally prefer a model where built-up areas are dispersed and designed around existing natural features. People need to have easy access to nature. On the other hand, this means longer distances and higher dependence on cars and public transport.”

”It is a complex question, and both approaches have benefits and disadvantages”, Pulli says.

Today’s urban planners are more aware of the natural environment. Still, Pulli would like to see even more nature-centric designs. Biological surveying has become routine, but the current approaches still fail to identify crucial species and environmental factors.

Pulli understands that the new rules about protecting the environment can also be exasperating.

”The green transition means changing how things have been done in the past. Having to pay more and more attention to the interests of the natural environment can be challenging in a building project. Planning and building were easier when there were fewer environmental regulations. The limitations that the new rules create can be frustrating.”

“I felt a connection with birds”

Nature has always been close to Pulli’s heart. His father first took him birding when he was just two years old. Pulli discovered his love of birds on a family holiday in Estonia at the age of six years.

”We saw a middle spotted woodpecker, which is rare in Northern Europe, and I was hooked. I decided to officially become a birder and started counting species. The middle spotted woodpecker was my third, and I have now seen around 290 species, mostly in Finland.”

Pulli spent every break time in primary school scanning the sky for birds.

”One of the kids from my class came to see what I was doing and got excited about birds, and we would just stand there together and gaze at the sky. In secondary school, my friends were all into nature and natural sciences”, Pulli says.

Pulli started studying biology at the University of Jyväskylä in 2020. His move from home to a new city coincided with the coronavirus pandemic, which made it difficult to meet new people and make friends.

”I spent a lot of time out birding on my own. Birds were familiar to me and gave me comfort. I felt connected to them.”

Familiar plants create a sense of home even in a strange environment

Pulli gets valuable information about his surroundings by making observations. He knows, for example, that wrens and song thrushes do not like the city centre but can be found in a wooded area just outside the city. He has also noticed that some species make use of human-built infrastructure.

”I once saw a wood warbler having a bath in the guttering of a house.”

Pulli finds plants easier to understand than people.

”Plants do not have emotions like people, but they react to their environment, which makes them predictable. Being around people is more draining”, he says.

”Finding a plant and recognising it is hugely rewarding for me. The fact that I know what it is makes me feel safe. Familiar plants give me a sense of home even in a strange environment.”

Nature’s communication is difficult for humans to understand

Pulli uses a fume hood to prepare his soil samples. He pulls a clump of soil and roots from a paper bag and places it in a sieve. He starts with a four-millimetre screen, working the sample through the holes, and then switches to a two-millimetre screen to ensure that only fines remain.

”The next step is to determine the organic content and acidity of the soil”, he explains.

I ask Pulli what his thoughts are on people like myself who can name very few species and only see a fraction of the natural life that a biologist sees. Being a polite young man, Pulli phrases his answer carefully:

”I find the idea of people not noticing nature odd. I get that people might not be able to name many species. Still, I struggle to comprehend how someone could just completely ignore the natural environment around them”, he says.

”My girlfriend is a chemist, and I have noticed she sees the world differently. We have had some very interesting conversations about how people in different academic fields pay attention to different things.”

Despite his young age, Pulli has noticed a loss of biodiversity in Finnish nature just within his lifetime.

”I follow the observations of other birders online and have helped to compile annual lists of bird sightings. It is clear that some species’ numbers are declining.”

Researchers of biodiversity loss know that one in nine species and one in two habitats are endangered in Finland. Species are becoming endangered especially in Southern Finland on the one hand and in Northwest Lapland on the other.

”Nature has ways of telling us when it is unwell, but the clues are indirect and take a long time to get across. While humans can give clear warnings to each other, such as ‘Do not do that; you will hurt yourself’, the feedback from nature is more subtle, less systematic and more complex to interpret. That makes understanding what nature is trying to tell us so difficult.”

”A biologist is like an interpreter between man and nature”, Pulli says.

Henkilö kävelee niittyjen välissä.

More species will be lost before we learn to do the right thing

Pulli’s thesis is due to be published next spring.

”I hope that urban planners will discover my paper, and I would love it to also inspire local residents. When I was collecting samples in Lappeenranta, I always put up signs next to the meadows that I was studying to tell people about my work. Maybe someone who saw the signs has been thinking about the project and waiting for the paper to come out.”

”Policymakers have to educate themselves about science and the importance of nature. The news media also have a big role, as they can educate the general public and raise awareness”, Pulli says.

Pulli dreams of a career in an environmental protection organisation, carrying out environmental surveys. A job like that would allow him to use his knowledge of species and promote environmentally conscious construction.

”I have high hopes for my career. There is a huge demand for environmental surveys at the moment, and demand outstrips supply. There are not enough qualified surveyors, and I have heard that my skills would come in handy.”

One final question: how do you feel about the future of humanity in this age of climate change and biodiversity loss?

”I am cautiously optimistic. Science is evolving rapidly, and new solutions are being created all the time. I believe that everything will ultimately be all right. At the moment, we humans are still failing to understand the warnings that nature is giving us, and that is why more species will be lost before we learn to do the right thing. However, even our university teachers say that humans will eventually see the light, and the situation will begin to improve. I have taught myself to share their optimism”, Pulli smiles.

Pulli’s confidence is infectious. Perhaps it is the human ability to learn that is the superpower of ours that will make the difference.

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