So far, only rough estimates for the utilisation rates of wild berries in Finland have been available. One reason for this is that there has been a lack of empirical-knowledge-based studies concerning total yields of wild berries and their yield variations. This study had three aims: 1) total bilberry and cowberry yields of an average crop year were calibrated for different (abundant and poor) crop years using the inventory data on wild berries collected by the Finnish Forest Research Institute (1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008); 2) national utilisation rates of bilberries and cowberries were calculated for three different berry years 1997-1999; and 3) regional utilisation rates of these berry species were calculated for the year 1997. According to calculations, annual bilberry yields in Finland vary from 92 to 312 million kg. For cowberry, the range of variation in total berry yields is from 129 to 386 million kg. It was also found that approximately the same proportion of the total yield of bilberries (i.e. 5-6%) was collected between 1997 and 1999. Utilisation rates of cowberries were also quite constant varying from approximately 8% to nearly 10%. In 1997, bilberries and cowberries were utilised most intensively in the eastern parts of the country and in the Oulu-Kainuu region. The results of this present study describe the situation before the phenomenon of foreign pickers. It can be presumed that commercial wild berry picking by migrant collectors has so far affected both national and regional utilisation rates of wild berries.

-P. (2013). Empirical prediction models for the coverage and yields of cowberry in Finland. Silva Fennica vol. 47 no. 3 article id 1005. 22 p. Highlights• The site fertility significantly affected the abundance of cowberry on mineral soils, spruce mires and pine mires.• The stand basal area and dominant tree species were among the most important forest structural predictors in the model for the coverage. • In the cowberry yield model developed for mineral soil sites, the stand basal area and coverage of cowberry plants were statistically significant predictors. AbstractEmpirical models for the coverage and berry yield of cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) were developed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). The percentage coverage of cowberry was predicted as a function of site and stand characteristics using data from the Finnish National Forest Inventory (NFI) in 1995. The average annual yield, including the between-year variation in the yield, was predicted as a function of percentage coverage and stand characteristics using permanent experimental plots (MASI) established in different areas of Finland and measured in 2001-2012. The model for cowberry yields (Model 2) was developed for mineral soil forests. The model for the coverage (Model 1) was constructed so that it considers both mineral soil sites and also many other sites where cowberry occurs in the field layer. According to Model 1, the site fertility significantly affected the abundance of cowberry on mineral soils, spruce mires and pine mires. The stand basal area and dominant tree species were among the most important forest structural predictors in Model 1. The site fertility was not a significant predictor in the cowberry yield model. Instead, the stand basal area and coverage of cowberry plants were found to be statistically significant predictors in Model 2. The estimated models were used to predict the cowberry coverage, average annual yield and its 95% confidence interval along with stand development. The models of this study can be used for multi-objective forest planning purposes.

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The results indicate that both the rate of participation in mushroom picking and estimates of the quantities collected varied greatly depending on whether the survey was conducted in a favourable or unfavourable year. In 1998, when the mushroom crop was abundant, a total of 47% of all households were engaged in picking and the total harvest was 16.1 million kg. In 1999, when the crop was poor, the estimates were the lowest (23% and 3.3 million kg, respectively) and in a year with a relatively abundant crop (2011), the estimates were 42% and 15.0 million kg, respectively. Mushrooms were collected mainly for home use, which accounted for 85-90% of the total harvest depending on the year. Only a small proportion of all households (0.3-1.3%) were engaged annually in commercial mushroom picking. In 1997-1999, milk caps formed the major part of the total amount picked (i.e. 37-53% depending on the year), whilst in 2011 their share was approximately one fifth of the total harvest. The results also indicate that the proportion of ceps in commercial picking has increased since the 1990s.