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Sustainable forestry requires efficient regeneration methods to ensure that new forests are established quickly. In Sweden, 99% of the planting is manual, but finding labor for this arduous work is difficult. An autonomous scarifying and planting machine with high precision, low environmental impact, and a good work environment would meet the needs of the forest industry. For two years, a collaborative group of researchers, manufacturers, and users (forest companies) has worked together on developing and testing a new concept for autonomous forest regeneration (Autoplant). The concept comprises several subsystems, i.e., regeneration and route planning, autonomous driving (path planning), new technology for forest regeneration with minimal environmental impact, automatic plant management, crane motion planning, detection of planting spots, and follow-up. The subsystems were tested separately and integrated together during a field test at a clearcut. The concept shows great potential, especially from an environmental perspective, with significantly reduced soil disturbances, from approximately 50% (the area proportion of the area disturbed by disc trenching) to less than 3%. The Autoplant project highlights the challenges and opportunities related to future development, e.g., the relation between machine cost and operating speed, sensor robustness in response to vibrations and weather, and precision in detecting the size and type of obstacles during autonomous driving and planting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our work focuses on the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), one of the most stringent, but also contested certification schemes for sustainable forestry. Responding to criticisms concerning inconsistency at the national level, FSC-International recently increased the prescriptiveness of its international standards, including the development of biodiversity-related International Generic Indicators (IGIs). We aim to understand recent efforts in Canada, Sweden, and Russia to revise national-level FSC standards in line with biodiversity-related IGIs. What were the key factors influencing the standard-development process and its outcomes? Were stakeholders satisfied with the negotiations and what was finally achieved? The data were drawn from semi-structured interviews with key participants, a comparative analysis of biodiversity-related indicators in newly approved FSC standards, and analysis of reports prepared by national FSC offices. We applied the Institutional Development and Analysis framework within a complex systems approach to identify multiple interconnected factors that shaped standard-development processes and outcomes in each country. Our findings indicate that despite persistent efforts of FSC-International to harmonize FSC standards across all countries, there are a number of interrelated key factors, which influence outcomes at the national level. Four common clusters of endogenous factors were key to standard-development processes and outcomes in each of these countries: process-related factors, biodiversity-related actions, desired level of control over biodiversity-related outcomes, and adequacy of available knowledge about biodiversity. Forest governance was the only common cluster of key exogenous factors in Sweden and Russia, many of which were identified as constraining the emergence of a consensus-oriented negotiation process. Our findings indicate that efforts to enhance the consistent performance of forest certification for biodiversity conservation require an improved understanding of negotiation outcomes as the emergent products of interactions between multiple exogenous and endogenous factors. This implies a need for a greater focus on process management aspects during future negotiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Soil and water acidification was internationally recognised as a severe environmental problem in the late 1960s. The interest in establishing "critical loads" led to a peak in weathering research in the 1980s and 1990s, since base cation weathering is the long-term counterbalance to acidification pressure. Assessments of weathering rates and associated uncertainties have recently become an area of renewed research interest, this time due to demand for forest residues to provide renewable bioenergy. Increased demand for forest fuels increases the risk of depleting the soils of base cations produced in situ by weathering. This is the background to the research programme Quantifying Weathering Rates for Sustainable Forestry (QWARTS), which ran from 2012 to 2019. The programme involved research groups working at different scales, from laboratory experiments to modelling. The aims of this study were to (1) investigate the variation in published weathering rates of base cations from different approaches in Sweden, with consideration of the key uncertainties for each method; (2) assess the robustness of the results in relation to sustainable forestry; and (3) discuss the results in relation to new insights from the QWARTS programme and propose ways to further reduce uncertainties. In the study we found that the variation in estimated weathering rates at single-site level was large, but still most sites could be placed reliably in broader classes of weathering rates. At the regional level, the results from the different approaches were in general agreement. Comparisons with base cation losses after stem-only and whole-tree harvesting showed sites where whole-tree harvesting was clearly not sustainable and other sites where variation in weathering rates from different approaches obscured the overall balance. Clear imbalances appeared mainly after whole-tree harvesting in spruce forests in southern and central Sweden. Based on the research findings in the QWARTS programme, it was concluded that the PROFILE/ForSAFE family of models provides the most important fundamental understanding of the contribution of weathering to long-term availability of base cations to support forest growth. However, these approaches should be continually assessed against other approaches. Uncertainties in the model approaches can be further reduced, mainly by finding ways to reduce uncertainties in input data on soil texture and associated hydrological parameters but also by developing the models, e.g. to better represent biological feedbacks under the influence of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the international policy level, there is a clear link between access to information about forests and the work towards sustainable land use. However, involving forests in planning for sustainable development (SuD) at the Swedish local level, by means of municipal comprehensive planning (MCP), is complicated by sector structure and legislation. Currently, there is a gap or hole in the MCP process when it comes to use and access to knowledge about forest conditions and forest land use. This hole limits the possibilities to formulate well-informed municipal visions and goals for sustainable forest land use as well as for overall SuD. Here we introduce an approach for compilation and presentation of geographic information to increase the preconditions for integrating forest information into Swedish MCP. We produce information about forest ownership patterns and forest conditions in terms of age and significant ecological and social values in forests for a case study municipality. We conclude that it is possible to effectively compile geographic and forest-related information to fill the hole in the municipal land use map. Through our approach, MCP could be strengthened as a tool for overall land use planning and hence as a base in SuD planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of clear-cutting and potential alternatives continue to be hot topics during discussions of forestry and nature conservation. This study presents forest data from Ridön, an island in Lake Mälaren in central Sweden, where forest management and clear-cutting have been applied for almost 200 years. The main objective of the study was to identify changes in forest management and forest conditions over time. The forest transition in Sweden during the 1800s is also covered, and the importance of early forest experiments is discussed, exemplified by Ridön. This study is based on eight forest management plans and maps, from 1832 to 2014. Our results show a transformation from large, continuous areas of heterogeneous forest to small homogeneous stands. Clear-cutting has been the main logging method applied to Ridön for almost 200 years, which is in contrast with the general historical trend of selective cutting preceding clear-cutting in the Nordic countries. Our analysis shows that forestry has changed from the exploitation of resources to sustainable management. Currently, forest management at Ridön aims to create a nature reserve characterized by uneven-aged forest with an increased deciduous component. Hence, the intention is to obtain a forest similar to as it was in 1832. By analyzing spatially precise data on forest stands over long periods and in relation to contemporary silvicultural methods, it is possible to discern the impact of forest management, to understand the drivers of the long-term changes in managed forest, and it also allows for a more educated discussion on today's forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Habitat heterogeneity and resource amount and quality were tested as indicators. • Habitat heterogeneity predicts the richness of species of conservation concern. • Dead wood and tree age predict the richness of red-listed species. • Thresholds for habitat heterogeneity score and deadwood were calculated. • Habitat heterogeneity score is useful tool in practical forestry and conservation. Reliable assessment measures are crucial for tracking changes in biodiversity and for evaluating the state of biodiversity. Two of the main drivers of biodiversity are habitat heterogeneity and resource amount. These drivers are used as proxies of biodiversity but assessing both is costly, limiting their practical use. To test which of the drivers best predicts the number and abundance of sessile species of conservation concern (including macrofungi, lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants), we assessed forest stand heterogeneity using a method developed in Sweden ('Habitat Heterogeneity Score HHS'), and quantified the resource amount and quality of ecologically important structural variables (deadwood volume, basal area of living trees, proportion of broadleaved trees, and the age of the oldest tree in the stand). We conducted the assessments in 77 boreal conifer-dominated forest stands in two regions of Sweden. Despite some group-specific organism differences, HHS was the best predictor of both number and abundance of all species of conservation concern, regardless of the region. Further, HHS was the best predictor of red-listed species number and abundance in the southern region, while a model including the volume of deadwood and the age of the oldest tree performed best in the northern region. Deadwood (CWD) volume was the single best resource amount predictor of the number and abundance of species of conservation concern, emphasizing the critical role that dead trees have for biodiversity. In addition, we calculated threshold values for deadwood volume and HHS depicting the level above which the number of red-listed species is significantly higher, and found this value to be higher in the southern region (22.4 m3 ha−1 deadwood and a HSS value of 17) than in the north (20.0 m3 ha−1 and 16). These values can be used as guidance when identifying coniferous forests with high enough qualities to support red-listed species. To conclude, the method of assessing habitat heterogeneity presented in this study is a practical and reliable way to identify forests of high biological diversity, and can therefore be part of the toolbox for sustainable forestry in boreal forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of multi-level governance is well illustrated by forest management in one of Europe’s large forested states, Sweden. Deregulated government policies emphasize ‘freedom with responsibility’, largely expecting the forest sector to determine ways in which policy goals and legal requirements are reached. In relation to this, Sweden has become one of the countries with the largest share of forests certified by third-party organizations, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), in accordance with specific environmental and social criteria. This multi-level case study draws on official documents and semi-structured interviews to analyze Swedish forest governance; specifically, the impact of multiplicity and complexity of environmental considerations on agreement over goal coordination, implementation, and evaluation for feedback and accountability. This contributes to previous research by analyzing interactions between state regulation and certification at multiple levels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Weathering of soil minerals is important for the recovery from acidification and for the sustainability of forestry. However, there is still substantial uncertainty about its absolute rate. This study presents a harmonized comparison of field weathering rates estimated with the mechanistic model PROFILE and the depletion method for 16 intensively sampled soil profiles across Sweden representing different site conditions. In general, a correspondence in total weathering rates was found between the two methods except in rare cases where either method yielded deviating results. The weathering rate was higher according to the depletion method than according to PROFILE for Mg, while PROFILE produced higher weathering rates for the other base cations. The Spearman rank correlation (ρ) between the two methods indicated significant correlation for Ca (ρ =0.44, p =0.04) and non-significant correlation for Mg (ρ =0.51, p =0.09), Na (ρ =0.25, p =0.34), K (ρ =0.07, p =0.80), and the sum of the base cations (ρ =0.11, p =0.67). The variation in weathering rates with depth showed opposite gradients in the upper 50cm, which reflects the conceptual differences between the methods. This study shows the potential of using multiple methods to identify a probable weathering rate, if harmonized input data are used. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of making comparisons for individual elements in order to interpret differences between methods. Regardless of the method used, weathering rates were below or at the same level as the losses caused by whole-tree harvesting, particularly in southern Sweden, indicating a risk of negative effects on soils and waters. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyzes how sustained yield (SY) forestry is defined and implemented in Sweden and Russia, two countries with different forest-industrial regimes. We first compare definitions of SY forestry in national legislation and policies. Then we study forest management planning in two large forest management units with respect to: delivered forest products and values, how the harvest level of timber is defined, where the harvest takes place, and what treatments are used to sustain desired forest products and values. In Sweden SY forestry is maximum yield based on high-input forest management, and in Russia it is forestry based on natural regeneration with minimum investments in silviculture. We conclude that how SY forestry contributes to SFM depends on the context. Finally, we discuss the consequences of SY forestry as performed in Sweden and Russia related to its ability to support diverse forest functions, as envisioned in sustainable forest management policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Forest biomass is an important energy source in Sweden and some other European countries. In this paper we estimate the physically available (i.e., total potential) forest biomass for energy from annual forest harvesting (1970--2008) or in the total standing stock (2008) in Sweden. To place Sweden's forest resources into perspective we relate this to an estimated need for renewable energy sources in Europe. As Swedish forests supply a range of goods and ecosystem services, and as forest biomass is often bulky and expensive to procure, we also discuss issues that affect the amount of forest biomass that is actually available for energy production. We conclude that forests will contribute to Sweden's renewable energy potential, but to a limited extent and expectations must be realistic and take techno-economical and environmental issues into consideration. To meet future energy needs in Sweden and Europe, a full suite of renewable energy resources will be needed, along with efficient conversion systems. A long-term sustainable supply of forest resources for energy and other uses can be obtained if future harvest levels are increased until they are equal to the annual growth increment. Delivering more than this would require increasing forest productivity through more intensive management. The new management regimes would have to begin now because it takes a long time to change annual production in temperate and boreal forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To implement policies on sustainable forest management (SFM), there is a need to satisfy economical, ecological and socio-cultural sustainability objectives. Due to a long history of sustained yield wood production to satisfy the needs of the forest industry, clearfelling management systems are used in ∼96 per cent of managed forests in Sweden. To satisfy the intentions of contemporary forest and land use policies, uneven-aged forest management systems as a complement are currently debated. We interviewed local forestry stakeholders in the Swedish boreal forest region’s north and south about their views on and attitudes towards different forest management systems’ contribution to SFM. Most stakeholders were generally negative to the use of uneven-aged system for sustained yield wood production but saw advantages for ecological and socio-cultural dimensions of SFM. To encourage the use of even-aged cohort and uneven-aged systems to satisfy all dimensions of SFM, there is a need for improved communication, education and public awareness. This could ultimately lead to a more constructive and less heated debate. In addition, there is a need of more empirically based knowledge about uneven-aged and cohort forest management systems’ pros and cons when it comes to satisfying economical, ecological and socio-cultural objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additions of nutrients, faster growing tree varieties, more intense harvest practices, and a changing climate all have the potential to increase forest production in Sweden, thereby mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration and fossil fuel substitution. However, the effects of management strategies for increased biomass production on soil resources and water quality at landscape scales are inadequately understood. Key knowledge gaps also remain regarding the sustainability of shorter rotation periods and more intensive biomass harvests. This includes effects of fertilization on the long-term weathering and supply of base cations and the consequences of changing mineral availability for future forest production. Furthermore, because soils and surface waters are closely connected, management efforts in the terrestrial landscape will potentially have consequences for water quality and the ecology of streams, rivers, and lakes. Here, we review and discuss some of the most pertinent questions related to how increased forest biomass production in Sweden could affect soils and surface waters, and how contemporary forestry goals can be met while minimizing the loss of other ecosystem services. We suggest that the development of management plans to promote the sustainable use of soil resources and water quality, while maximizing biomass production, will require a holistic ecosystem approach that is placed within a broader landscape perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing and competing land use, where we make use of a growing share of resources, potentially undermines the capacity of forests to provide multiple functions such as timber, biodiversity, recreation and pasture lands. The governance challenge is thus to manage trade-offs between human needs and, at the same time, maintain the capacities of forests to provide us with these needs. Sweden provides a clear example of this kind of challenge. Traditionally, timber has been the most apparent contribution of the forest to Swedish national interests. However, due to competing land use, the identification of the wider role of forests in terms of multifunctionality has been recognized. Today, a number of functions, such as water quality and biodiversity together with cultural and social activities related to forests, are increasingly included as potential demands on forests in competition with traditional functions such as timber production. The challenge is thus related to trade-offs between different functions. How to balance the relationship and guide trade-offs between different functions of forests is, to a large extent, a matter of policy choice and the design of appropriate governance institutions and pro-active management activities. Based on perceptions among stakeholders on future competing demands and a literature review, the paper explore the multifunctionality of the Swedish forests and how it is affected by competing demands for land use; how multifunctionality is currently governed; and concludes by suggesting promising decision support methods to manage trade-offs between different functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus that scholars have put on mainstream institutions for resource management, i.e. those recognized by the community and development agents as the primary organizations for resource management, has tended to mask alternative, less visible, but equally robust, organizational forms in which resources are managed and development is carried out at the local level. Mainstream institutions are often inadequate as arenas for negotiating contested interests. By directing attention to women's organizing in contexts in the south (India) and the north (Sweden), it is argued in this paper that although inclusive and heterogeneous structures are essential for the sustainable and equitable management of natural resources such as forests, in order to be able to be so, mainstream institutions need to be able to relate to other structures and forms that are exclusive and represent particular interests. This study of institutional contexts in such different places informs thinking on resource management, development and gender equality, and has practical implications for sustainable and equitable resource management. Importantly, it draws attention to the need to redefine how we study institutions for natural resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We combine historical maps and satellite derived data to reconstruct the development of a Swedish boreal landscape over the past 300 years. The aim is to understand legacies from past use patterns in present-day forest composition and consequences for conservation objectives from a landscape perspective. We analyze landscape development in cross-tabulation matrixes, building change trajectories. These trajectories are tested in linear models to explain the distribution of present-day landscape composition of coniferous, mixed, and deciduous forests >110 years. Of 49 tested change trajectories, 11 showed a significant association. Associations for mixed and coniferous forests were similar and linked to characteristics such as forest continuity, which characterized the studied landscape. Deciduous older forests did not show any association to forest continuity but were more likely to occur on areas that specifically shifted from forests with grazing in the 1720s to open impediment (likely indicating low tree coverage) in the 1850s. There were large shifts and spatial redistribution in ownerships over time. Use patterns and legacies varied between small- and large-scale ownership categories as well as within small-scale categories. The legacies found in the study indicate a complex origin of heterogeneous landscape elements such as older deciduous forests. Additionally, the origin of the legacies indicates a potential need to diversify conservation management based on the influence of past use patterns. Despite large inconsistencies in historical and contemporary data we argue that this type of analysis could be used to further understand the distribution of landscape elements important for conservation objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experiment: conventional thinning reduced bird diversity in Swedish boreal forest. • Understory retention and complete retention plots could retain bird diversity. • The willow tit (Poecile montanus) was especially negatively affected. • Novel BACI indicators for evaluating experiments and Bayesian MSOM were used. • A long-term evaluation of the post thinning development is needed. Current levels of forestry expansion in boreal forests threaten to radically reduce biodiversity. For many forest-dwelling species the threat is not simply because the forest is used for biomass production, but rather how it is used. Retention forestry practices aim to limit impacts on biodiversity during the final felling stage of a forestry cycle. However, the efficiency of such methods in retaining biodiversity have rarely been studied for intermediate forestry stages (e.g., forest thinning) with experimental approaches entirely absent from boreal forests. Therefore, we conducted a before-after control-impact experiment in Sweden to investigate the short-term response in occurrence of individual bird species, guilds, and population trend groups (positive, stable, or negative population trend), as well as the response in nest box occupancy and in the reproductive success of Parus major to three different thinning treatments. The three treatments were i) conventional thinning at the plot and stand scale, (ii) understory retention thinning, where at least 250 spruces with live branches below 2 m above ground are retained per hectare, and (iii) complete retention plots, where the forest was not thinned on ∼1 ha plots within conventionally thinned forest stands. We found that conventional forest thinning was likely the cause for observed declines in bird occurrence, with ∼20% of the species showing clear negative responses. Our results indicate that understory retention thinning with double the retention level as previously suggested and combining conventional thinning with complete retention plots, could largely alleviate the short term negative effects of conventional thinning. This was the case for all guilds, population trend groups and individual bird species, except for Poecile montanus , which responded negatively to complete retention. Among the birds occupying the nest boxes, only Cyanistes caeruleus responded to any of the treatments, with higher nest box occupancy upon understory retention thinning. No thinning treatment affected reproductive success in P. major. Our results clearly show that thinning practices that retain the diversity of forest-dwelling birds are possible. Hence, this study provides a crucial puzzle piece towards more sustainable forestry practices in the boreal region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spruce bark beetle Ips typographus is one of the major insect pests of mature Norway spruce forests. In this study, a model describing the temperature-dependent thresholds for swarming activity and temperature requirement for development from egg to adult was driven by transient regional climate scenario data for Sweden, covering the period of 1961–2100 for three future climate change scenarios (SRES A2, A1B and B2). During the 20th century, the weather supported the production of one bark beetle generation per year, except in the north-western mountainous parts of Sweden where the climate conditions were too harsh. A warmer climate may sustain a viable population also in the mountainous part; however, the distributional range of I. typographus may be restricted by the migration speed of Norway spruce. Modelling suggests that an earlier timing of spring swarming and fulfilled development of the first generation will significantly increase the frequency of summer swarming. Model calculations suggest that the spruce bark beetle will be able to initiate a second generation in South Sweden during 50% of the years around the mid century. By the end of the century, when temperatures during the bark beetle activity period are projected to have increased by 2.4–3.8 °C, a second generation will be initiated in South Sweden in 63–81% of the years. The corresponding figures are 16–33% for Mid Sweden, and 1–6% for North Sweden. During the next decades, one to two generations per year are predicted in response to temperature, and the northern distribution limit for the second generation will vary. Our study addresses questions applicable to sustainable forest management, suggesting that adequate countermeasures require monitoring of regional differences in timing of swarming and development of I. typographus, and planning of control operations during summer periods with large populations of bark beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projected warming in Sweden and other Fennoscandian countries will probably increase growth rates of forest trees near their northern limits, increase the probability of new pest outbreaks, and foster northerly migration of both native and exotic species. The greatest challenges for sustainable forestry are to restore and enhance the ecological and socioeconomic diversity of intensively managed forested landscapes. With appropriate management, climate warming may facilitate the regeneration of this diversity. Experimental transplant gardens along latitudinal or altitudinal gradients and high-resolution maps of expected future climate could provide a scientific basis for predicting the climate response of potential migrant species. Management of corridors and assisted migration could speed the movement of appropriate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An assessment of nutrient sustainability has been done for stands of European beech, Sycamore maple, European oak, Norway spruce, Larch, Grandis fir and Douglas fir at Björnstorp Estate in southern Sweden. To estimate the nutrient sustainability, mass balance was calculated with respect to Ca, Mg, K, N and P. The release from mineral weathering was calculated using the PROFILE model. The leaching has been estimated from observed soil water concentrations and nutrients removed by harvest from projected production. The results indicate that the planned production is on the limits of sustainability and sometimes in excess of it. The stands will overuse Ca, sometimes also Mg, K and P, if all growth is harvested. Soil acidification is still progessing at Björnstorp Estate, and soil depletion is the result of this. The estimated sustainable yield and the mass balances suggest that the leaching rate is the most uncertain factor for assessing sustainability. Different types of critical loads were investigated, including a new type, based on no excess acidity in the system. The calculations stress the importance of reducing the acid deposition and that nutrient sustainable management must be included in forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the challenging task of permanently organizing projects that include a broad range of actors: enterprises, social movement organizations and state actors. It focuses on a special type of standardization activity, namely eco-labelling, and is based on case studies of two Swedish projects/organizations: labelling of organic food and sustainable forestry. In this paper, I theorize about the concept of inclusiveness, which is seen as being instrumental for the creation of regulatory credibility and authority and argue that different types of members/participants have different types of power resources, which the standardization organization (SO) seeks to mobilize and control. The combination of these individual power resources brings action capacity and symbolic resources to the SO, including an image of independence. Moreover, the SO provides an organizational setting that, inter alias, helps interdependent actors to maintain a hold on each other, and forces them to engage in a dialogue and repeated interaction over time. This interaction can, in turn, result in common expectations and understandings that are essential for the operations of non-state governance. However, the case studies also indicate difficulties in organizing such complex networks. It can, above all, be difficult to prevent a power shift in favour of organizations with large power resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses possible implications of the results obtained in the SUFOR program on Swedish forest policy. The discussion is structured along the different components in the sustainability concept; economical, social, and biological. Who has the mandate to convert scientific results to practical recommendations is also discussed. How to combine the nature conservation driven landscape approach with the factual ownership structure is identified as a major policy challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of the Rio protocol and the preservation of biodiversity at the national and regional levels is an important step in achieving sustainable forestry. This is indeed a challenging task since our knowledge of the ecology and habitat demands for but a few species is severely restricted. Research in the last years shows that forest species have very different qualitative and spatial demands on their environment, which require complex and broad solutions. This poses a great problem for conservation and often forces societies/decision-makers to make decisions based on assumptions rather than on empirical data. With assumptions follow uncertainty, a factor that is necessary to control. We identify and discuss the uncertainties of steps that are considered to be important for preserving biodiversity on a regional level and exemplify this with cases from southern Sweden. We argue that there is no universal solution for the conservation of biodiversity. In strongly fragmented and transformed regions like southern Sweden, a mix of species approaches and ecosystem approaches is necessary for biodiversity conservation. Programs for preserving biodiversity should be flexible, not rigid, allowing for modifications due to a constantly increasing body of knowledge and environmental changes. Prominent gaps in our knowledge include species dispersal ability and propensity, extinction rates and the species dependence on fragmentation and landscape history. It is possible that the question of responsibility species (a species for which a region has an explicit conservational responsibility) may gain in importance, an issue with far-reaching implications for economy and inter-regional compensatory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We suggest a method of analyzing the sustainability conditions for forestry from three major realms: environmental, social, and economic. The tools and methods were tested at sites in Sweden. Assessments were made for the long-term sustainability concerning the impact of present management practices on the balances of nutrients in monocultures and mixed-species stands. In the economic assessments, both traditional terms hut also costs and revenues from adaptation to defined biodiversity criteria and public service demands were accounted for. An alternative to traditional discounting was used for transferring monetary value over time, by introducing spruce pulp equivalent units. Several scenarios with unsustainable conditions could he identified as well as appropriate management measures that can be taken to correct the issue. Results showed that the changes in management methods needed are possible and feasible. No significant difference in the net profit from the Norway spruce monocultures and the deciduous-conifer mixed stands were found. An increased use of deep rooting tree species has the potential to increase the total sustainable harvest volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review and discuss the applicability of mixed stands in the context of sustainable forestry in southern Sweden. This is done from a silvicultural perspective regarding aspects such as regeneration, pre-commercial thinnings, production, economy, damage and policy implications. The paper is based on literature reviews and on studies performed in southern Sweden or under comparable conditions. After considering the underlying mechanisms, we find that it is possible to establish a mixed stand in the regeneration phase and sometimes even to a lower cost compared to monocultures. To keep the mixture, or to create it, with pre-commercial thinnings is, however, often more expensive. The reviewed studies, together with a new simulation, show that the effect on productivity of mixed stands compared to monocultures is minor. Some positive effects on damage (i.e., decreased levels) in mixed stands have been found. The economy and the policy implications of mixed stand management were found to be dependent on the specific stand and situations. A general finding was that research and knowledge of managing mixed stands, as compared to monocultures, are limited, which in turn could limit the applicability of mixed stand management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss the human impact on the forests of northwestern Europe, especially changes in disturbance regimes and changes in the density of important features for biodiversity preservation. In southern Sweden, human impacts have decreased densities of old (>150 years) living trees and large (DBH >40 cm) dead trees to less than 1% of their original densities. In the same fashion, forest fires have decreased enormously in extent during the last 300 years, except in southwestern Sweden where the original fire frequency was presumably lower. These changes have had a tremendous impact on forest biodiversity. The number of extinctions in Sweden increases rapidly from the north to the south both for forest living species and other species. The number of threatened species shows a similar pattern and it is probable that many of these species belong to the extinction debt, especially those species that are dependent on sun exposed old living and dead deciduous trees. Rapid restoration measures, such as increasing the number of old sun exposed oaks and large dead deciduous trees in the vicinity of existing hot-spots, may prevent some impending extinctions. Fire is important to use when managing forests for preserving biodiversity, especially in areas where fires more recently have been suppressed and where a relict fire-adapted fauna is still present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a background to the SUFOR program, in this paper a short introduction to Swedish forestry is given, together with an overview of the sustainability debate in Sweden. The research carried through in the SUFOR program is concurrent with some of the main aspects of sustainability as interpreted here. Knowledge obtained through the program is identified to have a role as decision support for decision makers in Swedish forestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparing the practice of two certification schemes in Swedish forestry, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and a forest owner-dominated competitor, the author explores the capacity of forest certification to ameliorate environmental degradation in forestry while attending to different stakeholder interests. Although the inclusiveness and stringency of the FSC might impede its ability to attend to industry needs, it has a greater capacity than the forest owner-dominated scheme to enhance environmental protection in forestry. Second, although competition for support and rule-making authority has resulted in convergence of the two schemes, the forest owner-dominated program has not adopted decision-making rules and structures to reduce the influence of forest owners in standard development and operation. Third, effective implementation of non-state forest governance schemes requires national forest law enforcement and well-functioning government administrations. This helps explain why forest certification initiatives have been more successful in Sweden and other developed countries than in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forests and forestry in Sweden are dominated by conifers. Silviculture using mixed or broadleaved stands is often recommended, but the degree to which broadleaves regenerate naturally needs to be clarified. The Swedish National Forest Inventory is here used for a region-wide study of broadleaved saplings (1.3m tall to 4.9cmdbh) regenerated naturally. For 12 species (taxa) in young forests (<7m tall) and high forests (≥7m), sapling densities were related to seven forest types and three productivity classes. Birch had highest densities in all but two broadleaved forest types. Birch, oak, rowan and sallow had 70–85% of their total sapling populations in conifer-dominated forest types, indicating good potential for mixed stands. Beech, lime, hornbeam, ash and elm were mostly restricted to ‘noble’ (hardwood) forests. The regeneration success (saplings per mature tree) for birch, rowan and oak was highest in conifer-dominated forest; beech was about equally successful in conifer-dominated and broadleaved forests, and ash was very successful in broadleaved forest. Oak regeneration may be problematical in broadleaved forests, but we suggest this is not the case in conifer-dominated forests (where oaks have rarely been studied). Sapling densities of the species in the forest types were not consistently correlated with productivity, but birch and aspen generally regenerated strongest at intermediate and at high productivity, respectively. In noble forests, oak, ash and elm regenerated strongest at low productivity. The role of asexual regeneration (sprouting) remains to clarify. Our results suggest that lime, elm, ash and some other trees currently are limited mainly by poor dispersal, rather than habitat availability. The results are promising for various forms of mixed-species forestry that does not require planting (or little planting) and that would be beneficial for nature conservation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Proposes the community management of forests in Russia as a means to achieve sustainability in the sector. Situation of the Russian forest sector as of February 2000; Use of the Swedish forest commons as an example of an alternative to massive privatization of forests; Potential benefits of community forest management in Russia; Issue of the establishment of property rights in Russia.

The authors discuss the sustainable forest biorefining of Sweden and the U.S. which have historically tied companies, families, and education systems together in both countries. According to the authors, this effort is initially focused on lumber, pulp, and paper. They mention Swedish SunPine which takes tall oil recovered from the kraft pulping industry and refines it into green diesel.

The article discusses various reports published within the issue including one on the experience of Sweden in developing guidelines for sustainable forest biomass harvesting, another on operational challenges and cost considerations involved in such operations and one on an adaptive forest management process.

The article mentions people that the author would like to thank for their assistance in the creation of the research program Sustainable Forestry in Southern Sweden.

The article reports on the thinning schedules to be introduced by the Federal Forestry Agency of Russia. According to sources, the thinning schedules will be based on those used in Sweden, which have been adapted for Russian conditions and will be tested in the Pskov Model Forest Project. This is considered as a cooperative sustainable forestry program with Swedish and Russian partners coordinated by the Swedish Forest Agency. Furthermore, the thinning schedules will be tested on a larger scale in the Russian counties.

Reports that Sweden has joined the International Model Forest Network (IMFN). Submission of a proposal to the IMFN Secretariat by land-use expert Leif Jougda; Outline of a long-term strategy to establish model forests; Significance of model forests on the explanation of sustainable forest management; Introduction of a new forest policy by the Swedish government to balance timber production with the preservation of biodiversity. INSET: Errors and Omissions Insurance for CIF/IFC Consultant Members..

Worldwide, forestry is evolving as it reflects change in the way society values forests and forest products. Companies are reacting in a variety of ways. Stora, a large, integrated Swedish company, has implemented ecological landscape planning and begun to certify its ownership under the forest Stewardship Council system. Actions like Stora'sare important for professional foresters to follow as they provide insight into ways for improving the image of forestry and indicate howglobal competitive forces may develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]