Vaarunvuori hill, an unique example of biological diversity

Being in the taiga zone there are nationally endangered species like the flying squirrel, Cinna latifolia (Graminae) and insects of untouched forests. Many of them, like the flying squirrel and Arctic saxifrage (Saxifraga nivalis), occur here at the limit of their range; Plagodis dolabraria (Lep: Geometridae) occurs here in it's northernmost habitat in the world.
   
18 species of living organisms on Vaaru are included in Directives of European Union.Twelve of the bird species encountered on Vaaru are included in Annex 1 of the Birds Directive (The EC Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds). That is 20 % of them in Finland.
    In addition, six other species of living organisms are included in Annex IV (which provides strict protection ) of the EC Habitats Directive. Five of them are animal species, 16 % of the animals species in Annex IV living in Finland.
   There are also eight habitat types on Vaaru included in Annex I of the EC Habitats Directive.

There are 25 nationally endangered species on Vaaru. Six of them are bird species (20 % of nationally endangered birds in Finland), ten species of insects, and eight species of plants.

In addition to at least 90 nationally or locally endangered species more than a dozen species of butterfly found nowhere else in central Finland have been found over the past few years.
   

For almost 30 years a state-owned company Imatran Voima Oy (IVO), which now owns two nuclear reactors, threatened to construct the first pump-fed power station in Finland and in Northern Europe on this same Vaarunvuori hill (also referred to as Vaaru).

About 5/6ths of the endangered species, including the last habitant of Pannaria mediterrania in Finland, on Vaarunvuori hill have been found only in the area of the danger zone caused by the pumping station plan. The area (2,5 km2) is already on 6 conservation programmes, e.g. the old growth forest programme, one on top of the other. An internationally valuable old nature reserve would have been surrounded by the constructions needed by the plant.
   In addition, as regards its biological diversity,Vaarunvuori hill is the most valuable area in central Finland for the Natura 2000 network. Finland has 20.8.1997 decised to suggest most of the Vaaru (6,25 square kilometers) to the Natura 2000-network.

Vaaru is known one of the most remarkable monuments of Nature in Finland. Most of the area is now (2001) in a nature reserve.