Silviculture and management of Scots pine in Sweden

Abstract

This paper gives some information about silvicultural trends in Sweden with the main focus on management of Scots pine stands and measures proposed to enhance biodiversity. During the last decades there has been a shift away from volume production orientated forestry towards forestry focusing on both production and environment with a special emphasis on biodiversity. Our current Forestry Act has two equal goals, (i) forest production and (ii) environment with sustained biodiversity. The major Swedish forest companies and other forest owners are signing agreements in order to meet certification requirements and show that their forest management considers the sustainability of the whole forest ecosystem and the environment of surrounding ecosystems. Even though Scots pine will still mainly be managed on a clear-cutting system, these developments will change Swedish Scots pine forests from even aged, uniform monocultures towards more mixed species and multi-storied stands. Prescribed burning will be practised on Scots pine sites as a site preparation measure that also enhances biodiversity. In this way silviculture will mimic the major natural disturbance agent in boreal Sweden – forest fire. Measures to enhance biodiversity are based on the best available knowledge, but the effect of these measures on biodiversity and forest production is largely unknown. Another uncertainty is how these new stands should be managed in an efficient way.