Study site
This study was conducted during summer 2002 and 2003 in Liikasenvaara (66°22’N, 29°30’E),
located 70 km north of Kuusamo, NE Finland, in a 0.25 ha abandoned field. No specific permissions
were required to carry out the work which did not involve endangered or protected
species. The field was under agricultural use (mainly hay production) until it was abandoned in
1990. The soil is mildly acidic (pH 5.5) and the nutrient levels were 1.41 μg P g-1, 8.95 μg K g-1
and 8% of soil organic matter content (dry weight) as measured in [26]. Geranium sylvaticum
was one of the most abundant plants in the meadow and the female frequency was 24% as measured
in [27]. Mean precipitation and temperature measured in the Oulanka research station
10 kmWfrom the study site for 2002 and 2003 are given in Fig. 1.