02 Suolijärvi nature trail information board

The power of water

Over time, a stream is formed at the lowest point of its bed as the flowing water begins to consume the bed. Like the blood flowing in our bodies, the water in a stream carries oxygen, minerals, nutrients and various pollutants with it. As the stream of water flows, it consumes the soil, transporting and piling it up in new places. Do you notice this phenomenon around the brook?

The life of a brook

The biota in the brook has adapted to the fluctuating water flow. Streams are home to a wide variety of benthic animals, for which the rocks and decomposing plant matter provide food and shelter. 

A wide variety of aquatic moss also thrive on the stones in the brook. Wetland plants, such as the eagle's wing – a fern – line the brook and its banks. The brooks and their banks also act as corridors along which organisms move between different areas. In this way, brooks prevent fragmentation and loss of habitat, underlining their important role in biodiversity conservation.

How can we protect brooks?

Brooks are endangered habitats. Brooks have been altered, for example by removing riparian trees, boulders and plants that have accumulated on the bottom, connecting them to the city's stormwater network, and otherwise destroying them for the sake of development. Today, brooks are recognised for their habitat value and are being protected and restored. In this way, their biota has a chance to return.

By comparing the area around the sign with the other banks of the brook, you may notice that the banks of the brook are partly unvegetated and worn. Walking erodes and compacts the soil, which is detrimental to the well-being of soil organisms and plants.  So, let's stick to the areas already in use!