Natural environment and primary sector production

Finnish scenery would be very different if we had a different climate. The same applies across the globe. Air temperature, rainfall, the composition of atmospheric gases, and variations in day length and between seasons affect the chances of different species of organisms to survive: The Finnish climate suits species that have adapted to high latitudes but it could not sustain tropical species and vice versa. All in all, our climate is not as productive as those found in the tropics or further south in Europe, for example.

Primary sector production is production that mostly uses natural resources rather than processed goods. Species that are able to grow in our climate are those naturally occurring species that we can use in primary sector production: Our coniferous forests have been dubbed 'green gold'. Some of our diet is based on the game animals living in our forests and the fish found in our waters. Even beyond the wilderness, climate still has a similar effect on primary sector production: We are not able to compete with warmer regions in agriculture.

Climate change is transforming our natural conditions. The survival of some species will become harder while conditions for others will improve. Changes in the chances of different species to survive will mould the diversity of our nature and the species available for primary sector production.